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.
