Thanks to John Thomas, a member of the Slowly Sideways Germany club, and our compatriot Pierre Dupont, Rally 4 Passion spectators will be able to relive (or almost relive) one of the finest pages in the rich career of one of our most emblematic co-drivers. From one German-Belgian duo to another…
In 1984, Willy Lux began a partnership with the German driver that was to last two seasons in an Audi Quattro Gr.B run by Konrad Schmidt’s team.
Restored for the first time in 2012 by German John Thomas, this Audi Quattro A2 Gr.B for a time sported a Rothmans livery in reference to the car owned by Dutchman John Bosch.
In 2019, after a new rebuild, its owner chose to give it another livery, in this case that of Harald Demuth’s car in the German Rally Championship during the 1983 season. Just before the start of the collaboration between Demuth and Lux.
Two Ford works drivers at the start of Rally 4 Passion
Less than four weeks from the first Festival of this type ever organized in Belgium, the organizers of the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival (26th and 27th April) are pleased to announce that Grégoire Munster and Bruno Thiry will be at the start with a very powerful Ford Escort Cosworth Gr.A. An obvious reference to the career of the two Ford drivers, who defended the official colours of the manufacturer in the World Rally Championship with an interval of 30 years.
In 1994, after a brilliant season at the wheel of the Opel Astra Gr. A of Opel Team Belgium, Bruno Thiry signed his first contract as a factory driver in the World Rally Championship, driving a Ford Escort Cosworth Gr.A. Thirty years later, in 2024, Grégoire Munster is competing in his first WRC season in the colours of Ford and M-Sport, at the wheel of a works Ford Puma Rally1.
It’s something the organizers of Rally 4 Passion want to emphasize in the first Huy-Namur Rallye Festival, by bringing the two fast, and also popular and charismatic drivers at the start. Their cars? An aggressive and powerful machine that means a lot to many enthusiasts: the Ford Escort Cosworth Group A.
“We are very happy to welcome Bruno and Grégoire to our event”, states Yves Matton, the initiator of Rally 4 Passion. “Just like Robert Droogmans, driving a Porsche 911 Group 4 from his heyday, Grégoire and Bruno will be at the wheel of cars made available to them by MY Vintage: two very powerful Ford Escort Cosworth Gr.A.”
Both cars will be decorated in colours that will certainly bring back beautiful memories. « Indeed. The Escorts are not only spectacular, Bruno and Grégoire’s cars will also have an iconic livery which will certainly appeal to fans. In addition to the enjoyment of the drivers, who will certainly enjoy the ‘demo stages’ on Friday and Saturday, the pleasure of the fans is also very important to us. Given the list of participants who have already registered for the event, they will certainly be spoiled », Matton continues.
100 % show on Friday evening
The Rally 4 Passion runs over two days, starting spectacularly on Friday, April 26th. After an autograph session in the afternoon, at the podium of the Rallye de Wallonie in Jambes (Namur), the participants drive towards Huy to complete the demo stage of Ben-Ahin twice. The stage is entirely reserved for them and is – just like the rest of the event – completely free of any form of competition. Between the two stages, there is also a regroup in Ben-Ahin.
“Both participants and spectators will have a great time on this very spectacular stage”, continues Julien Frère, director of the event. “The infamous Moulin de Solières passage, with its gravel section and the surrounding entertainment, will probably attract the most people. Especially because this first part of the course revolves entirely around the show element. There is also plenty to see at a second famous spectacle point, the well-known Cabane of Ben-Ahin. It may be a warm-up of 22.88 kilometres (2 x 11.44 km), but participants and fans will certainly enjoy every second of it.”
The next day, on Saturday, April 27th, the participants of Rally 4 Passion will complete two complete loops as part of the Rallye de Wallonie, a round of the Belgian Rally Championship Division 1. They will complete the stages of Mohiville-Nettinne (14.85 km), Natoye (8.81 km), Crupet (11.38 km) and Wartet (6.98 km).
We would like to remind you that registrations are still open. The closing, after approval of the entry file, is set for April 15th.
No, your eyes won’t betray you: this monstrous Audi Quattro S1 E2 does indeed sport a Belga livery… which it has never worn in competition. When this ultimate Group B appeared on the rally scene in 1985, Marc Duez already knew that his future did not lay with Audi, but with MG/Rover and the 6R4.
This Audi Quattro S1 E2 is also the expression of the passion of its designer, Humbert Anne de Molina, co-founder of Vintage Racing & Services in Aische-en-Refail, who has devoted several years of his life to building this spectacular, super-powerful replica of the S1 E2.
To do this, Humbert Anne de Molina followed the usual recipe for this model, namely to call on several donor vehicles (Audi 80 and Quattro Coupé) to design a short chassis, onto which were then grafted numerous composite components and a ‘boosted’ 5-cylinder engine. The result? Impressive!
Peter Lüdicke is a very active member of the German Slowly Sideways club. And he’s passionate about an unusual model: the Datsun Violet GT. The owner of several examples, he will be present at Rally 4 Passion with this superb replica of the official Gr.4 Violet GT that finished 6th in the 1981 Acropolis Rally, the sixth round of the World Rally Championship.
Local driver Giorgios Moschous had the luxury of finishing just behind Shekhar Mehta and a prestigious leading quartet, with Vatanen, Alen, Bettega and Fréquelin. His team-mate Timo Salonen, driving an identical Violet GT, was forced to retire. Like its successor from 1983, the Nissan 240 RS, this Datsun Violet GT shone primarily in the fairly rough gravel rallys.
Thanks to Didier Doyen and Damien Cornet, spectators at the Rally 4 Passion will be able to relive their memories!
In 1987, Jean-Pierre Van de Wauwer was one of the leading lights of Belgian rallying with a car that has remained legendary: the Toyota Corolla 1600 GT in Fina colours, prepared by Thiebaut Racing, the company founded by Pierre Thiebaut in Verviers a few years earlier.
Although Didier Doyen has owned the original ‘Vande’ car for a number of years, unfortunately it is no longer roadworthy. So, as a true enthusiast, Didier set about rebuilding a Corolla AE86 in the colours of the famous Belgian petrol company.
Equipped with a high-performance engine producing some 195 bhp, a ‘straight size’ gearbox and a large autoblocker, this beautiful replica is sure to please the many Vande fans…
Festivals such as Rally 4 Passion are also an opportunity to admire superb original vintage cars that have been perfectly restored and maintained. Such is the case of this 1974 Ford Escort MKI RS2000 Group 4, in the colours of Ford Motorsport, an era when rally cars were essentially immaculate.
Voted ‘Most Beautiful Original Car’ at the 2023 Alsace Rally Festival, this Escort is owned by Dutchman Laurens van der Velde, a renowned speedway driver for many years.
Before becoming an official Toyota and then Mitsubishi driver, Kenneth Eriksson enabled Volkswagen Motorsport to shine in the World Rally Championship in two-wheel drive with the Golf Gr.A. In 1986 and 1987, the Swede put in a string of performances, taking numerous class wins.
In 1987, the first year of the advent of Group A at world level, Eriksson even took his Golf to 4th place in the World Rally Championship behind the 4-wheel drive cars of Kankkunen, Biasion and Alen.
A fine replica of Eriksson’s 1987 Gr.A Golf, this Volkswagen, presented by its owner Roger Halm at the Alsace Rallye Festival 2023, is the result of a meticulous restoration carried out between December 2022 and July 2023.
After trying his hand in a Sunbeam TI, Renaud Verreydt made a name for himself on the Belgian rally scene in 1987 at the wheel of a Toyota Corolla GT type AE86 prepared by Breuer in Saint-Vith and sporting the Nivea for men livery.
Already 6th in the Boucles de Spa Alphonse Delettre at the start of the year, the « poet from Villers-le-Temple » ended the Inter championship season on a high note with 4th place on home soil in the Rallye du Condroz.
Now owned by Jean Vandeghen, this ex-Emmanuel Eggermont Corolla GT – which took part in the Roger Albert Clark Rally – is a beautiful replica of Renaud Verreydt’s 1987 car.
Equipped with a dogbox transmission and a powerful engine, it is sure to delight Rally 4 Passion spectators and fans of the man who remains one of the popular Belgian rally drivers.
Before becoming a world rallying legend, winning two world titles – in 1980 and 1982 – Walter Röhrl spent several seasons defending Opel’s colours on the international stage.
In 1976, in addition to several world events, he contested a European campaign at the wheel of a Group 4 Opel Kadett GT/E with the support of the brand’s major European dealers. His car bore the colours of the Opel Euro Händlerteam.
In the European Rally Championship, he claimed a superb victory in the 24 Hours of Ypres. A few days before his victory in the Westhoek, he had paid a visit to the local partner of this participation, the Opel Mottrie garage in Ypres.
A superb tribute to this Opel Kadett GT/E Gr.4, the car bought by Patrick Gilkinet from Marcel Laval in 2022 is a very fine replica, high-performance and well known to rally fans. At Rally 4 Passion, Patrick Gilkinet will be assisted by Benoît Gillet.
In rallying, certain colours have become iconic. This is certainly the case for the colours worn by Russell Brookes’ various cars, which are inextricably linked to the ‘Andrews – Heat for Hire’ livery.
Sadly no longer with us since 2019, the British driver secured in 1974 a sponsorship that was to follow him throughout his career, that of a heating and air-conditioning equipment hire company: Andrews.
On his Ford Escort, then Talbot Lotus, Vauxhall Chevette, Opel Manta 400, Opel Kadett and various models of Ford Sierra, the multiple British Rally Champion was to make the famous colours of his partner known on an international scale.
A keen motor sports enthusiast, Frenchman Dominique Sibieude has competed in motocross, autocross and ice racing. A talented mechanic, he has also worked in MotoGP and endurance racing. A few years ago, he embarked on the superb project of creating a replica of this emblematic Ford Sierra Cosworth Gr.A ‘Andrews – Heat for Hire’, at the 1989 Lombard RAC Rally.
Rally 4 Passion spectators will be able to see this superb creation on 26 and 27 April. Dominique Sibieude will be joined on his right-hand side, as he was at the Alsace Rallye Festival, by Éric Varrey.
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