On October 8^th and 9^th, Huy will live on Stuttgart time. Throughout the weekend, the Porsche brand will be omnipresent in and around the city at the Meuse river, with a rally and a regularity test which will take place on Sunday. On Saturday, there will also be an impressive tour, for which the organizers have already concocted a five-star menu!

Competition, regularity or tour: there will be something for everyone, at the beginning of October in Huy. And although a rally exclusively reserved for Porsche cars is absolutely unique, we already know that the Porsche by R4P-tour will mark the spirits, too.

Have a look at this: after having lined up their beautiful German machinery on Avenue Delchambre and after enjoying a gourmet breakfast, the participants will set off at their leisure, from 10 AM, for a first stage of around one hundred kilometres. It will take them to Stavelot, over roads in good condition and through carefully selected valleys. After the lunch break, the return drive of around 130 kilometres will pass Namur, through a region which also has some nice surprises in store.

« Obviously, we will not reveal everything just yet, but the objective is that the Porsche drivers will keep a lasting memory of this event », says Romuald Honnay, the well-known head of ‘The Cabana Team’, known for its exploits during the Condroz Rally and a specialist in tourist tours. “We did not want to bore the participants with a complicated or difficult route. It is not a contest, and not a quiz either. On the other hand, there will be a simple but clear roadbook, including a whole series of nice viewpoints, remarkable places, heritage sites, etc… where the participants will be able to make a short stopover if they want to. This is a real tourist tour, let there be no doubt about that!”

But the clientele of Porsche consists, probably more than any other, out of real enthusiasts: “That is also the reason the lunch break will be held at the Abbaye de Stavelot. A walking dinner will be offered to everyone, as well as entry to the Spa-Francorchamps museum, which, as everyone knows, is located in these superb buildings. Participants will have plenty of time to enjoy a visit before leaving for the afternoon drive, with the arrival in Huy being scheduled at 6 PM. Good to know: this return drive will end by using the roads of one of the special stages that the competitors of the Rally will cover the next day!”

And there is no need to end such a wonderful day there and then! Those who wish can participate in the Porsche 959-evening, which will take place in the facilities of MY Vintage, or in the 911-barbecue dinner, which will take place in the centre of Huy!

As icing on the cake: this enticing program is offered, all inclusive (except evenings), at the democratic price of €180 per car (2 occupants). For each additional passenger €50 will be requested. To register and obtain all the details of the 959- or 911-evenings, all you need to do is visit www.r4p.be, tab “Balade”.

On 8 and 9 October 2022, the first edition of an event entirely dedicated to Porsches will take place in the region around Huy. It will be divided into four versions: a speed rally, a regularity event, a tour and a co-driving event. This will allow everyone, be they Belgian or foreign, to live their passion for the emblematic German marque!

In the collective unconscious, the Porsche marque is one of the two or three most likely to be mentioned as soon as the conversation turns to sports cars or motor sport.

The idea of devoting a road event to it (as opposed to the many track events on offer) remained for a few years solely in the heads of two friends, until they came across an attentive ear, a real trigger. The snowball effect was immediate and, in a short time, a series of enthusiasts, all involved in motor sport and led by well-known personalities such as Yves Matton and Jean-Marc Fortin, decided to join forces to launch a concept which, although not exactly original, is at least 100% original in its “quadruple” variation.

“We wanted to address all Porsche drivers, including foreigners as the event will be Open, and to welcome all Porsches, from the 356 to the 992, via the 914 and the front engine models, whether they are prepared for competition or simply in series production,” begins Julien Frère, project manager. “And to offer them the opportunity to express themselves in a road event in the most appropriate way for each of them. Some will prefer an authentic speed rally, organised in collaboration with the “Écurie NEW Racing”; others will take part in the regularity event organised by one of the masters in the field, Yves Noelanders, while those who do not have a competition-prepared car will have the choice between a tour or the co-driving event, which will be a perfect opportunity to do a good deed for a charity.”  

The project literally “hit the nail on the head” in Huy: “As soon as Julien told me about it, I was seduced,”explains Yves Matton, the famous “attentive ear”! “Everybody knew that I wanted to get involved in “my” region. This Rally 4 Porsche – Huy came at just the right time. I contacted several friends who were all enthusiastic and, above all, the town of Huy decided to give us its support by agreeing to host the nerve centre of the event, with the onus on us to ensure perfect collaboration with local residents.”

Ultimately, the most complex challenge was to find a date! “We have only been discussing the project for a few weeks. There are regulations to follow and deadlines to meet. The aftermath of the pandemic is still very much with us. With already very busy schedules, the date of 8 and 9 October 2022 will only be for this first edition to take place this year: the events in future years will be held earlier in the year, in the spring or during the summer,”said the former FIA rally director before adding, “Having said that, we have made sure that our event does not interfere in any way with the Belgian championship or the ASAF championship where it is registered. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the members and the organisers for the warm welcome we received!”

Although it is still a little early to reveal exactly what is on the menu, you should know that the speed rally will cover between 100 and 120 kilometres of special stages in the Condroz and Hesbaye; the regularity event, with the VHRS label (vehicules historiques de régularité sportive – historic regularity sports cars), will follow the same course but with averages of 50 and 65 kph; the tour (on open roads and in strict compliance with the highway code) will take the participants to discover the Condroz without taking in the rally stages and with a quality stopover at lunchtime, and the charity co-driving event will allow them to discover the Huy region. Last but not least, in each of the four variations of the event, there will be a quality prize to be won, each time in line with the theme of that particular category.