Scheduled for 29–30 August in Polanica-Zdrój, the Poland Rally Legend will be held for the second time this year. Just like Rally 4 Passion, which will excite Belgian rally fans two weeks later, on 12–13 September, both are historic festivals celebrating the shared passion for rallying in these two countries.

To promote each other’s events, the organisers of the Poland Rally Legend and Rally 4 Passion have decided to join forces and cooperate on various levels.

“Festivals like ours are becoming increasingly popular in Europe. For the second edition of Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival, we already had the support of the Eifel Rallye Festival and the organisers of the Alsace Rallye Festival. We are delighted to now embark on this new cooperation with the Poland Rally Legend,” said Yves Matton, head of the Rally 4 Passion organising team.

A Belgian delegation led by Yves Matton will be present in Polanica-Zdrój on 29–30 August. “We will also be bringing the ex-Kulig Ford Focus WRC from MY Gallery,” continues Matton. “Poland has played an important role in my professional life. The late Janusz Kulig was one of the first foreign drivers to work with Prorace, the team I founded in 1990. I also visited Poland frequently later with the Future World team, which ran a Toyota Corolla WRC for Leszek Kuzaj. More recently, I had the pleasure of working with Robert Kubica while I was at the helm of Citroën Racing.”

“When we created the first edition of our rally a year ago, we never imagined that, just a year later, we would establish cooperation with our friends from Belgium. This is a milestone for both the Polish Rally Legend and the Belgian Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival. We are both in the second edition of our events and need support so that our rallies can grow and proudly promote the history and heritage of the beautiful motorsport discipline of rallying,” said Daniel Trzciński, head of the Poland Rally Legend organising team.

“Working with our Belgian friends is something special, as each of us remembers the fierce battles of Patrick Snijers, Robert Droogmans, Bruno Thiry, and other great drivers on our stages; Belgian teams such as Prorace or Future World; and Belgian co-drivers like Jean-Marc Fortin or Erwin Mombaerts, who competed alongside Krzysztof Hołowczyc and Leszek Kuzaj,” Trzciński continues. “Our special guest during both last year’s and this year’s editions is Patrick Snijers, winner of Rally Poland. And this year, thanks to the courtesy of Yves Matton, we will be able to admire Janusz Kulig’s original Ford Focus WRC, in which he competed in the 2002 Rally Poland. We are happy and believe that our cooperation will last for years, reminding everyone of the important role Belgian motorsport has played in the hearts of Polish fans and drivers. We are driven and united by passion!”

The Poland Rally Legend follows in the footsteps of the famous Rajd Polski in Lower Silesia, south-western Poland, a rally that was long one of the flagship events of the European Championship. It is also an event where Belgians have often excelled. Marc Soulet won in 1988 with a Ford Sierra Cosworth. In 1989 and 1990, Robert Droogmans scored two consecutive victories, first at the wheel of his Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and then with the Lancia Delta Integrale, both cars in Fina colours. In 1993, Droogmans claimed a third victory with a Ford Escort RS Cosworth, a car that would win again the following year with Patrick Snijers at the wheel. In 1997, Snijers repeated the feat, this time with the WRC version of the Ford Escort. Although Bruno Thiry never won in Poland, he finished on the podium twice—in 2000 (Citroën Xsara Kit Car) and in 2003 (Peugeot 206 WRC).

Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival will take place on 12–13 September in the Condroz region, famous for its wonderful stages, known from the Condroz-Huy Rally. The organisers have prepared 118 km of special stages, run over 12 stages in total. The rally is a festival, with no timekeeping. Last year’s participants included Bruno Thiry, Robert Droogmans, Grégoire Munster and Yves Matton.

To encourage participants in the Poland Rally Legend and Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival to take part in both events, a €150 discount on the entry fee will be offered. Entries for the Poland Rally Legend are open until 16 August 2025, and for the Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival, eligibility applications close on 5 September.

More info:

Poland Rally Legend: prl.org.pl

Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival: rally4passion.be

Pascal Gaban at the wheel of a Mazda 323 “Replica”. The second edition of the Rally 4 Passion is scheduled for Friday, September 12th, and Saturday, September 13th, and it promises to be an exciting event. Several participants who were impressed by the first edition have already registered, in addition to some prominent names from the rallying world. And that certainly includes Yves Loubet, Pascal Gaban and Pierre Delettre, who together highlight the diversity of the entry list in the categories ‘Original’, ‘Replica’ and ‘Historic’!

The Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival is a must-see event for rally enthusiasts and fans of historic rally cars. The festival will highlight spectacular driving and impressive slides. On September 12th and 13th, festival participants will enjoy a route designed to showcase thrilling performances. The event will kick off with two demonstration stages at Moulin de Solières Show on Friday evening, followed by more demonstration stages on Saturday: Goesnes, Havelange-Clavier, Villers-le-Bouillet, and Ben-Ahin. These names will surely evoke fond memories for many rally fans.
 
With less than two months until the event, new registration requests are coming in daily. Thanks to the support of dedicated enthusiasts, two notable drivers have confirmed their participation: Yves Loubet and Pascal Gaban. Both of these drivers made significant impacts in the World Rally Championship during the late 1980s and have strong ties to Belgium. Loubet will compete in the original Alfa Romeo GTV6 Gr. A car he drove at the 1986 Boucles de Spa, while Gaban will be at the wheel of a replica of a works Mazda 323 that Hannu Mikkola drove in the 1988 Rally of Portugal, the year Gaban took the Gr. N world title!

The incredible story of Loubet and the Alfa GTV6
 
Just mentioning the Alfa Romeo GTV6 lights up Yves Loubet’s eyes and quickens his voice: “The story of the Alfa GTV6 is incredible. When my journey with the Alfa GTV6 began in France in 1982, it started as a crazy idea with a few friends. I had already achieved some good results with the Opel Kadett, but it was the Alfa that helped me become a professional driver. My success with the GTV6 Gr. N in France, as part of a promotional cup organized by Alfa Romeo France, allowed me to enter the 1983 Monte Carlo Rally as a factory driver. I competed in a Group A version of the car, originally developed for circuit racing by a famous Belgian tuner, Luigi!”
 
Loubet finished 15th overall and also won in Group A, after which he enjoyed a successful streak in France for four seasons with this unique car. “In rallying, the GTV6 faced challenges early on, as certain components were not ideal. But its exceptional balance, with a 50/50 weight distribution and a V6 engine mounted behind the front wheels, made it stand out. And who called me on a blue Monday in 1986? Luigi! He suggested I drive his Alfa GTV6 Gr. A in the Boucles de Spa! Competing against powerful Group B cars on snow-covered special stages was no easy feat. However, it’s going to be a huge pleasure to drive the Alfa again at Rally 4 Passion. The car is the real deal! Additionally, I’ll be partnering with Bruno Brissart, a co-driver I’ve worked with in 1994 when he was just starting his career.”
 
The fact that this incredible story can continue on September 12th and 13th around Huy and Ciney is thanks to passionate enthusiasts, including Léon Plaire, the owner of the Alfa Romeo GTV6 Gr. A. “I’ve always been a devoted fan of Alfa Romeo and motorsports”, Léon admits. “In Belgium, there were only two rally versions of the GTV6 Gr. A: those driven by Gaby Goudezeune and Dany Delettre. When Yves Loubet – my idol, because he was the only one who could really put the Alfa to the test – drove Dany’s GTV6 at Spa in 1986, I promised myself that I would buy the car one day. A year later, the opportunity arose, and I went for it! I’ve long dreamed of letting Yves drive this car again, and I’m thrilled that he’ll have the opportunity at Rally 4 Passion.”

Pierre Delettre also joins the Festival
 
When you think of Boucles de Spa, Pierre Delettre always comes to mind. During the 1986 Boucles de Spa, Pierre was not yet in charge of the rally he would go on to organize for two decades. “I was still doing an internship with the organization led by my brother Dany, who took over after our father Alphonse passed away in 1984. He organized the 1985 and 1986 editions. Yves Loubet’s participation with the Alfa Romeo that my brother drove the previous year brings back many memories. I even had the chance to experience being a passenger in the GTV6 during a test,” recalls Pierre, who is credited with building the ‘Legend’ concept from the ground up in 2006. “I was also delighted to give Yves the opportunity to drive a replica of the Stratos during the 2011 Legend Boucles de Spa. I’m very pleased to see him in action again at Rally 4 Passion.”
 
Pierre Delettre will be participating in Rally 4 Passion as well, driving his Ford Escort MkI with Aurélie Van Houdenhove as his co-driver. Delettre stated: « Since I drove my first rally in 2019, I’ve been hooked. Whether competing in VHC or demonstration stages like the Montée Historique du Maquisard, I continue to have a lot of fun with my Escort—a car that I dreamed of owning even as a teenager. »

Pascal Gaban at the wheel of a Mazda 323 Gr. N
 
During the 1987 Boucles de Spa, the first edition organized by Pierre Delettre, the young Pascal Gaban – fresh off his title as ‘National’ Champion with Porsche – began a successful collaboration with the Mazda Rally Team Belgium. By the end of that season, he secured the Group N title in the ‘Inter’ championship, and the following year, he became the Group N World Champion with his Mazda 323 4WD. During Rally 4 Passion, Pascal Gaban will also drive a Mazda 323 4WD Gr. N, a former Lareppe car. The car was recently restored by its owner, Thierry Quaas, and Nicolas Plas’s Motorsport International team. This Mazda 323 sports the livery of Hannu Mikkola’s works car in the 1988 Rallye du Portugal. In this edition of the Portuguese World Championship round, Pascal Gaban finished eleventh overall and second in Group N. A key result in the campaign that earned him the world title at the end of the season!
 
« Great memories! Sometimes it’s good to look back on ‘the good old days' », Pascal says with a smile. « We owe this project to Thierry Quaas, a passionate mechanic with whom I’ve worked for a long time. Over the years, I’d found several of my old cars, but I never had the time to properly restore them. This project was a success thanks to Thierry. And because I’m still young in my 60-year-old head, this participation in Rally 4 Passion is just the first step: our goal is to also be at the start of the Monte-Carlo Historique! »
 
These early announced entries clearly highlight the diverse range of cars that the public and fans can expect at the Rally 4 Passion – Condroz Rally Festival on September 12th and 13th, with Yves Loubet and the Alfa GTV6 Gr. A in the « Original » category, Pascal Gaban with the Mazda 323 4WD Gr. N in the « Replica » category, and Pierre Delettre with his Ford Escort MkI in the « Historic » category.

Iconic demo stages on the menu. The second edition of Rally 4 Passion is shaping up to be an exciting event, featuring five different demo stages that collectively span around 118 kilometres and showcase twelve ‘special stages’. Participants can look forward to some truly iconic stages!

On 12 and 13 September, the heart of the Condroz region will once again resonate with the roar of legendary rally cars during the second edition of Rally 4 Passion. This event is a collaboration between R4P and the Automobile Club de Namur, and the 2025 edition promises to deliver an impressive 118-kilometre course across the two days.
 
Starting on Thursday, 11 September, participants will have access to the course and the necessary documents for optional reconnaissance. The recce will continue the following day, along with administrative and technical checks. The real excitement begins on Friday evening for both participants and spectators!
 
The service park and event headquarters will be located at Ciney Expo, with the rally starting from Place Monseu in Ciney. However, the focus for the first evening of Rally 4 Passion will be in Huy, particularly during the regrouping at 18:45 on Avenue Delchambre. Friday’s programme includes two runs of the 13.38-kilometre long ‘Moulin de Solières Show’ demonstration stage, which is a highlight of the event. Participants can be admired three times at the famous Moulin de Solières, promising an atmosphere filled with excitement and spectacular driving, beginning at 18:30!

The comeback of Goesnes
 
On Saturday, 13 September, Rally 4 Passion will maintain a vigorous pace, featuring a total of ten demonstration stages that are secured and closed to traffic – none of which involve competition. These stages will measure a total of 92 kilometres. The day will kick off in Ciney at 9 am, and the first stage will evoke many fond memories for rally fans. The Goesnes demonstration stage, spanning 8.78 kilometres, begins on the famous section in Pailhe, traversing through the village of Goesnes, towards the iconic Château de Hodoumont.
 
Next, participants will tackle the Havelange-Clavier demonstration stage (6.00 km), which offers an intriguing mix of roads between the villages of Verlée and Méan, concluding at the Méan football field. The rally then moves on to another classic stage, the Villers-le-Bouillet demonstration stage. At 14.32 kilometres, this is the longest stage of the event, starting with an exciting show section up to the old jump crossroads of Warnant-Dreye, and finishing in Vieux-Waleffe after a passage near Vaux-et-Borset.

The Cabane of the Condroz
 
The fourth demonstration stage on Saturday, the Ben-Ahin stage, also brings back many fond memories for rally enthusiasts. This stage begins at the Moulin de Solières, once again featuring a mini-show. Participants will then head towards the historic Cabane of the Condroz, famous for its dirt descent which leads to the finish in La Sarte. Two full loops will take place on Saturday, after which participants will return to the service park at Ciney Expo each time.
 
The third loop will start around 4:30 pm, allowing participants to complete the Goesnes and Villers-le-Bouillet demonstration stages once more. Following the final podium presentation in Solières (just before 7 pm), a traditional closing dinner will take place. This time, this beautiful and convivial finale will be hosted at the Ferme de l’Abbaye de Solières!
 
Participants can register on the R4ce platform.

Last week, the R4P team received a visit from Boukè, the “made in our country” media from Namur. The opportunity for Yves Matton, one of the initiators of the project, to answer Pierre Robert’s questions.

Find this report on the Bouké Média website:

https://www.bouke.media/sport/sports-moteurs/le-rallye-de-wallonie-aura-son-accent-historique-avec-rally-passion/12838