Geko Ypres Rally
Round 4, Belgium
European Rally Championship
Ypres Rally has made itself a strong reputation to attract a high quality starting field and a huge number of spectators. This year we will do our 46th edition. This automobile rally became a part of European Rally Championship in 1976 and since 2006 also a part of Intercontinental Rally Challenge as one of the pioneer events. The heart of the rally is located in the bustling and historic town centre of Ypres, famous for its typical architecture and impressive town square where the service park is located throughout from Wednesday on. This year's event is a very compact asphalt rally full of new developments, but above all one that enables us to draw up an efficient safety plan in order to give access to as many spectators as possible to the stages in an orderly controlled manner that does not jeopardize the safety of the rally.
Last year's edition saw the introduction of the popular Spectator Arenas along the stages where the numerous spectators got spoiled with rally radio, result service and catering and toilet facilities. It is our ambition to develop this rally-addicted tool to another dimension and host the more than 50.000 spectators in an enjoyable atmosphere. The starting field counted last year 73 competitors from 12 different European countries and with 13 different car brands. Irishmen Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle won in their Peugeot 207 S 2000 after a thrilling battle with their teammate Freddy Loix. Jan Kopecky in a works Skoda Fabia S2000 finished on the third step of the podium. This year Ypres Rally welcomes their new naming partner Geko, the large furniture supplier from Zulte, who has been supporting some drivers in the last years and wanted to connect his brand for at least two years to one of the largest sports events in our country. This new cooperation will implement a bigger effort to diffuse live TV reports from the most interesting elements of the rally. More news on this will be communicated on our website soon. Ypres becomes every year the place to be to a significant number of journalists. In 2009 we saw a media attendance of 218 accredited journalists from 12 European countries (26 TV media, 118 print and 74 online media).
The Rally Headquarters as well as the start, the service park the finish are situated in town centre of Ypres. The show weekend of „Geko Ypres Rally” starts on Thursday 24 June with the scrutineering followed by the shakedown in Nieuwkerke in the evening. On Friday afternoon we have a drivers gathering with autograph session in the „Rally Village” of our service park. The rally will be run on Friday 24 evening and Saturday 25 June including 292 km of SS on twisty asphalt surface of various qualities.
