Although he had already amply demonstrated his talent in 1987, the year following his revelation in the Citroën Visa Trophy, Bruno Thiry made a definitive name for himself on the Belgian rally scene in 1988 at the wheel of a car that left a lasting impression: the Citroën Visa 1000 Pistes in the colours of the insurance company Sobelfa.
Bruno Thiry and Dany Delvaux began their Belgian season with a superb podium finish in the Boucles de Spa, behind the powerful Gr.A cars of Patrick Snijers (BMW M3 E30) and ‘Vande’ (Sierra RS Cosworth).
Based on a Citroën Visa Chrono, this replica of Bruno Thiry’s car at Spa is a fine tribute, imbued with an enormous amount of passion. Owned by Alain Collins, who first acquired it (he bought it 3 times…) in the early 2000s, this Citroën Visa has been sporting a beautiful Sobelfa livery since 2018. This livery was given to it by another rally personality, the late Bruno Blaise. And to complete the illusion, the real bumper from the 1000 Pistes.
In short, when you see this Citroën Visa Replica « Thiry/Delvaux – Boucles de Spa 1988 » at Rally 4 Passion, in the hands of Alain Collins and Christophe Sanzot, there’s no doubt that many will see great memories come flooding back!
Today, we present the first of the Gr.Bs – others will be announced shortly – that will be lining up at the start of the first Rally 4 Passion.
The Audi Quattro S1 E2 is without doubt the most legendary Group B car in the history of rallying. In any case, it’s the most beastly. Of the twenty cars produced for its homologation, the few that still exist stay unfortunately in museums.
Owned by Frenchman Benoit Martin, this Group B Audi Quattro S1 E2 is a faithful reconstruction, incorporating chassis sections from several other Audi models. Exactly like the Group B built by Audi Sport at the time!
Under the body of this impressive S1 E2, we find a long Audi Ur Quattro chassis, recut and re-welded, combined with a GT Coupé chassis. The powertrain comes from an Audi S2. The 5-cylinder turbo engine, with its bewitching sound, delivers over 400 bhp.
At the Rally 4 Passion, Benoit Martin will be delighting the senses of spectators in the company of our compatriot Pascal Collard in this superb Replica sporting the official colours of Audi in the World Championship during the 1986 season.
The first competitor we present to you in this first edition of Rally 4 Passion is Belgian and a lifelong Skoda enthusiast.
A few years ago, Francis Listrez set about building this superb replica of the Skoda 130 RS Group 2, powered by a 140bhp 1.3 4-cylinder engine, faithful to the car in which Czechoslovakia’s Svatopluk Kvaizar and Jiri Kotek – two well-known figures on the Belgian rally – finished a fine 9th in the Boucles de Spa in 1979.
« It’s a very rare car, even unknown in our country. In the Czech Republic, the Skoda 130 RS is part of the national heritage », explains Francis Listrez, who will be competing in the first Rally 4 Passion in the company of Sébastien Stas.
The Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival, held on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27, will be the first event of this type organized in Belgium. In total, the participants will complete no fewer than 10 special stages, covering more than 100 kilometres. The ever-popular and still highly respected Robert Droogmans could not miss this event!
Both in Huy and Namur, the R4P team is busy preparing for the first edition of the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival. While applications are pouring in at the organizers’ office, a first eye-catcher can already be announced. Robert Droogmans will be one of the participants of this first Festival organized on Belgian soil. “We are very pleased to welcome Robert at the wheel of a Porsche 911. He is a driver who has written many beautiful pages of Belgian rally history and he still cherishes a true passion for rallying,” says a delighted Yves Matton.
In the 80s and 90s, Robert Droogmans already set some fantastic performances on the rally roads in and around Huy and Namur, and he can hardly wait to taste the rally atmosphere during the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival: “I already took part in the Eifel Rallye Festival once and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend the first Festival on Belgian soil. Certainly not if it is organized by the R4P team in such a beautiful region!”
10 special stages, covering more than 100 km
The menu of the first edition of Rally 4 Passion will be one to enjoy. On Friday, April 26, after the technical scrutineering, the participants will leave the service park – which they share with the teams of the Rallye de Wallonie – towards Huy to complete a Prologue reserved exclusively for the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival. This Prologue consists of two non-timed passages on the Ben-Ahin special stage, covering just over 22 kilometres. A particularly spectacular stage, which is greatly appreciated by both spectators and drivers.
On Saturday, two loops of four special stages are to be covered by the participants of the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival, who will follow the drivers of the Belgian Rally Championship on the natural and spectacular stages of Mohiville-Nettine, Natoye, Crupet and Wartet. More than 84 kilometres of pure driving pleasure on closed and secured roads. The first edition of the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival, organized under the auspices of the RACB and in collaboration with the organizers of the Rallye de Wallonie, is open to the most iconic cars in rally history.
Iconic cars that made us dream
The absence of any notion of competition and timing allows the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival to be open – subject to the approval of the candidacy based on the eligibility criteria – to cars that are usually not allowed to participate in speed rallies, both in Belgium and elsewhere. These include the famous Group B cars or the World Rally Cars, obviously to the delight of those nostalgic for the golden age of rallying. All this in a very relaxed atmosphere, where the show element of this large ‘Demo’, held in optimal safety conditions, is the most important.
So see you on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27, for the first edition of the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival, because it promises to be a great rally party!
Are you the proud owner of a rally car meeting the eligibility conditions and would you like to participate in Rally 4 Passion?
You will be able to send us your applications by e-mail from January 26 in order to present your vehicle to us, with as many details as possible on its configuration or its authenticity, as well as a few photos.
You can send your applications to: passion@r4p.be!
On Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th, R4P organises a brand new ‘Festival’, in collaboration with the Rallye de Wallonie. The most iconic rally cars from the history of the sport will be brought together on special stages in the region around Huy and Namur.
The R4P team, which is led by Yves Matton and Jean-Marc Fortin and which has already organized the Rally 4 Porsche in Huy for the past two years, is organizing a brand new event on April 26th and 27th, called Rally 4 Passion. This so-called ‘Festival’ is organized between Huy and Namur, without any competitive element, to the delight of fans of the golden age of rallying.
Group 4, Group B, Group A, kit cars, first-generation World Rally Cars… These cars made the hearts of rally enthusiasts beat faster – and they still do, more than ever. All these cars can now once again show their potential in the most optimal safety conditions, on stages that are held in a region that is close to the hearts of rally experts and the event organizers alike.
“Demo” and “Festival” atmosphere
Germany, Italy, France… In all these countries, Eifel Rallye Festival-type events – the great precursor – are getting more and more popular, both among fans and among the owners of these cars that have written rally history. The organizers of Rally 4 Passion, very attached to their region in the Condroz and along the banks of the Meuse, want to offer a fun event, without any sporting element, completely revolving around the show and fun factors. The only thing that could be measured is the applause.
“Rally 4 Passion will certainly please fans of the golden era of rallying. The absence of all the obligations that a competition entails allows us to receive the fans of this genre – drivers, owners of these cars and rally fans – in optimal conditions, and gather them in our beautiful region, for an event that is all about fun », says Yves Matton, spearhead of the organizing team.
In collaboration with the Automobile Club de Namur
Rally 4 Passion will be held over two days. On Friday, April 26th, the cars, which will be divided by year of manufacture, will complete two passes on an iconic special stage of the Condroz Rally. On Saturday we head to Namur, to drive two loops of the Rallye de Wallonie – which is organized during the same weekend. “We are very pleased to be able to collaborate with the Automobile Club de Namur and the team of Étienne Lerson, organizers of the Rallye de Wallonie in the BRC, for the second day of Rally 4 Passion”, said a delighted Yves Matton.
“There was an opportunity to connect Huy and Namur, through this original and future-oriented program. On the one hand, there is the double passage of an iconic stage of the Condroz Rally on Friday, on the other hand, two loops of the Rallye de Wallonie on Saturday. I am convinced that enthusiasts will come to the stages in large numbers, to enjoy the spectacle offered by these dream cars. Even those who could not attend rallies when these cars competed for the first time will still want to attend, of that I am fully convinced.”
Etienne Lerson, president of the Automobile Club de Namur, is also looking forward to this original collaboration, which will attract even more people to the Rallye de Wallonie stages: “We were slightly surprised by this collaboration proposal from the Rally 4 Passion team. We first assured ourselves that it was feasible, by consulting the RACB for example, but also our race directors Étienne Massillon and Jules Liégeois. The latter takes the regularity competition and Rally 4 Passion under his wings, and we will be happy to welcome the participants in this highly original event.”
A high-quality entry list
Rally 4 Passion can also count on the support of Reinhard Klein, organizer of the Eifel Rallye Festival, and the organizing team of the Alsace Rallye Festival. “From the start, we could count on the support and enthusiasm of Reinhard Klein, who launched the Slowly Sideways concept a few years ago at the Eifel Rallye Festival, as well as Jacky Jung, the organizer of the Alsace Rallye Festival. Both will help us to organize this unique event.”
For several weeks now, the R4P team has been using its extensive network to spread the word about this new event. To enthusiasts and owners of eligible cars, but also to drivers who could participate in this grand rally festival. “We can also use the relationship network of Slowly Sideways and the Alsace Rallye Festival to offer a high-quality starting field. We will also use our own network, built up over many years in the WRC, to bring big rally names to Huy and Namur. They will certainly have a lot of fun driving or admiring these cars that have written rally history.”
So it’s a date! The first edition of the Rally 4 Passion – Huy-Namur Rallye Festival takes place on Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th. Don’t miss it!
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