The Belgian duo Christophe Jacob/Isabelle Regnier, driving a Ford Escort RS 1800, secured their first-ever victory in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship (EHRC) on gravel this Saturday. They won the Historic Rally Fafe by a margin of 19.2s over Spaniards Jesus Ferreiro Perez and Javier Anido Vasquez, also in a Ford Escort RS 1800, who are the reigning Category 3 champions.
The Belgian couple controlled the rally, organized by Demoporto (Clube de Desportos Motorizados do Porto), from the second special stage onward. They skillfully managed their lead over their closest rivals, most notably Sammarinese Nemo Mazza (Ford Escort RS) and Spaniard Jesus Ferreiro Perez (Ford Escort RS 1800), the reigning European Category 3 champion. Perez secured second place during the second stage by gradually pulling away from Mazza, resulting in a podium swept entirely by Ford Escort models. The Ford dominance might have been even more pronounced if not for the initial leader, Daniel Alonso Villaron (Ford Escort RS 2000), who faced mechanical issues early on, losing significant time and dropping out of contention for the top spots. Austrian Kris Rosenberger (Subaru Impreza Turbo GT) was another title contender, but mechanical failure on his Subaru also cut his aspirations short prematurely.
Interesting and spectacular moments were experienced on the gravel stages of Fafe with the passing of true rally "relics." These included the Fiat 131 Abarth of Greek driver Nikolaos Pavlidis, who ultimately retired following an excursion off the road, and the Volvo 242 of Finn Pasi Hapulahti, who secured a final fourth-place finish, among others. Czech driver Oldrich Kovarik Jr, hailing from a family that owns a precious collection of Skoda vehicles (both competition and standard models), was another standout performer, driving his Skoda Favorit 136L to an impressive fifth place overall.
Filipe Madureira e Luís Boiça, no Nissan Micra 1.3, venceram, de modo categórico, a prova da Taça de Portugal de Ralis, realizada em paralelo com a do EHRC, terminando com uma vantagem relevante para Rui Ribeiro (Ford Escort), cujos problemas no primeiro dia o atiraram para o fundo da tabela classificativa. António Pinto dos Santos levou a “famosa” Renault 4L do último lugar do pódio, depois das desistências de José Cruz (Porsche 928s) e de Aníbal Rolo (Datsun 1200).
Na prova do Campeonato Norte de Ralis, cujos pilotos apenas disputam as seis classificativas deste sábado, a primazia pertenceu às equipas do CPR (Campeonato de Portugal de Ralis) que vieram a Fafe preparar a estreia naquele campeonato, agendada para o próximo fim de semana, em Amarante. Pedro Meireles (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) subiu ao lugar mais alto do pódio, por uma diferença de 1.8s para Rúben Rodrigues (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2). Os dois travaram um duelo interessante, repartindo as vitórias nas seis classificativas. Guilherme Meireles (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2) bateu Diogo Martins [Marujo] (Skoda Fabia R5 Evo) por 2.4s na discussão do terceiro lugar.
Final Classification (EHRC)
1º, Christophe Jacob/Isabelle Regnier (Ford Escort RS 1800), 1h50m43.1s
2º, Jesus Ferreira Perez/Javier Anido Vasquez (Ford Escort RS 1800), a 19.2s
3º, Nemo Mazza/Mauro Marchiori (Ford Escort RS), a 1m47.3s
4º, Pasi Hapulahti/Antti Nordstrom (Volvo 242), a 3-49.3
5º, Oldrich Kovarik Jnr/Marek Kapic (Skoda Favorit 136L), a 4.46.6
6º, Lukas Schindelegger/Helmut Schindelegger (Ford Escort RS 2000), a 4.58.2
7º, Siegfried Mayr/Renate Mayr (Volvo 240), a 6.01.8
8º, Manel Arroyo Perez/Miquel Amblas Madriguera (Porsche 911), a 6.48.4
9º, Jordi Pons/Jan Rosa (Porsche 911), a 12.12.8
10º, Jesus Diez Villaroel/Guifre Pujol Solsona (Ford Escort Twin CAm), 16.05.1
Taça de Portugal
1º, Filipe Madureira/Luís Boiça (Nissan Micra 1.3), 2.00.51.8
2º, Rui Ribeiro/Pedro Fernandes (Ford Escort MKII), a 24.26.0
3º, António Pinto dos Santos/Manuel Pinto dos Santos (Renault 4L), a 37.37.9
Campeonato Norte de Ralis
1º, Pedro Meireles/Carlos Magalhães (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), 45m16,6s
2º, Rúben Rodrigues/Rui Raimundo (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), a 1.8s
3º, Guilherme Meireles/Pedro Alves (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2), a 55.4
4º, Diogo Martins/Jorge Carvalho (Skoda Fabia R5 Evo), a 57.8
5º, Hélder Miranda/Mariana Machado (Peugeot 208 Rally4), a 3.55.8
