- A date on the eve of summer
- An exceptional event to celebrate 75 years of Porsche and 60 years of the 911
- Four events in one, over the course of a single weekend
- Open to all types of Porsches, without any restriction
After an impressive inaugural edition in the fall of 2022, the Rally 4 Porsche will see its second edition in the spring of 2023 (on June 3-4), much to the delight of owners, drivers and enthusiasts whose hearts beat only for the Stuttgart brand. Just like last year, there will be something for everybody. Spectacular? You can count on it!
In 2022, the Rally 4 Porsche surprised the car world with an event in an unprecedented format in Belgium, which will be repeated next spring. A car weekend which, as its name suggests, plays the single-brand card without being sectarian. Quite the contrary. On the one hand, the weekend revolves around four events: a speed rally, a sporting regularity rally, a tourist ride and a charity co-drive. On the other hand, with 2023 being the 60th anniversary of the 911 and the 75th of the German manufacturer, the Rally 4 Porsche is aimed at everyone who shares this passion for the brand and is open to all Porsche badged vehicles, whether it has 4, 6, 8 or 10 cylinders, whether it’s front, mid or rear-engined, whether it’s a coupe, cabrio, sedan or SUV, from the origins of the brand to the present day.
In the heart of the city at the Meuse
Yves Matton, figurehead of the event and initiator of the project and assisted by his sidekick Jean-Marc Fortin, is a fervent Porsche lover himself. He explains how this second edition will be organised: “The first Rally 4 Porsche was exceptional in more ways than one. We managed to bring together 170 Porsches and at least twice as many Porsche drivers, their entourage, fans of the brand and one of its greatest ambassadors worldwide, Jacky Ickx. However, the beginning of autumn was not really the best time of year, in the midst of an overloaded post-covid calendar, and only a few weeks before another major car event in the region. However, the event was a success. It’s further proof that Belgium is a country of car lovers and that the Porsche brand is dear to them.”
Just like last year, the HQ of the Rally 4 Porsche will be installed in the heart of the city of Huy, with the region around the Meuse city serving as a backdrop for the various aspects of the event throughout the weekend. “We are once again fortunate to benefit from the support of the city of Huy and the authorities of the surrounding districts. Not only do they open the doors to a wonderful setting, steeped in automotive history, but they also allow us to add personality and character to each of the 4 events that make up this Rally 4 Porsche, by giving us the opportunity to establish exciting, selective and safe routes for participants and spectators alike.”
No limits
The format of the weekend, different from other activities traditionally offered to Porsche lovers, also allows a communion between the points of interest of every participant and to build bridges between different kinds of passion, explains Yves Matton, former Rally Director at the FIA: “We build our event so everyone can enjoy it and participate and/or attend the other events of the weekend. We try to avoid, as much as possible, an overlap in the various activities. At the moment not all details of the program are set in stone, but we can already confirm that the friendly and relaxed tourist ride will take place on Saturday, run under a new ‘all in’ formula. On Sunday, it’s time for sporting events, with speed and regularity rallies, two disciplines in which the various Porsche models very often excel, both in Belgium and abroad. We maintain a ‘Demo’ category for those who want to have fun on safe and closed roads, even with an original vehicle, as long as it is built before 1996. And we won’t forget the charity co-drive, by involving the general public and offering them the opportunity to be a passenger in a Porsche.”
It’s too early to give all the details of each of the components of the Porsche weekend in Huy, but starting February 22nd entries for the event are open. However, it’s already established that the speed rally, which will once again see Robert Droogmans, one of the so-called Three Musketeers, compete at the wheel of a 911, should offer between 110 and 120 km of special stages in the Huy region. The speed rally welcomes foreign crews, historic cars, modified prototypes and modern GT3s, and in the ‘Demo’ category any Porsche built before 1996. The regularity test, with the VHRS label (historic vehicles for sports regularity), will take the same route but with average speeds of 50 or 65 km/h and will be concocted by a big name in the discipline, Yves Noelanders. As for the tourist ride, on open roads and in strict compliance with the highway code, it will take Porsche fans to the most spectacular corners of Wallonia, following a specific route, punctuated by a tasty stopover at noon. The charitable co-drive will focus on the region around Huy. Finally: the speed and regularity rallies will end with the awarding of a high-end prize, closely linked to the theme of the category.
