Maxime Potty has been the revelation of the season so far. The young Belgian is entering his thrid season in a Rally 2 but he never achieved a podium in his front line seasons to date. Now, he has two wins, a second (which was an exciting rally) and a third. It is coming together for him!
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
The RGT Champion from last year, Cedric Cherain is taking the Hyundai to new heights. He has protested the results of the TAC Rally after losing by 5.2 sec but taking a 10 second penalty after a SS1 false start, where the jump was considered to be 0.003sec too fast…
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
Bastien Rouard is not new to rallying but is putting in a concerted effort to the Belgian Championship for the first time this year and now has taken back to back podiums in the Championship. He is showing the pace of the Hyundai and it will be interesting to see if he can break through for a win this year.
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
Two-time Champion, Adrian Fernemont is a little off the pace of where we would expect him. But the fact that a third, fourth and DNF is off the expectations shows just how highly we rate the Wallonian driver. It is also interesting to note that of the 12 podium places possible so far in 2023, a Skoda has only 1 of those places. Incredible for such a dominant car.
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
Paul Lieter, or the Moustache was back with his Opel Mantra and took second in Historic but his typical flamboyant style certainly was more important than any overall result!
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
PJM Cracco was back but this time in a Porsche! He had shown some great pace in Rally 2 cars before hand but has switched. He took some time to get up to pace in the Porsche but was setting good times by the end
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
The TAC Rally offered some nice landscapes. The rally was dry but that wasn’t the case for the shakedown! Henri Schmelcher would finish fourth in RGT
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
The Weavers Sport squad from the Netherlands brought the only example of the new Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2 and came home in fifth place. Naturally, we will see more of these cars come through and in the hands of front running drivers. But you can’t deny the fun of this livery!
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
The Slowly Sideways crews were back for another demonstration run. These cars all have some history to them and it was encouraging to see some crowd stay out to see the classic cars in action. There is something to be said for their approach, something that says ‘we love rally’. The cars are run, on stage for the entertainment of the owners. No festival atmosphere needed. No museum needed. Just the cars doing what the do best. Rally (well most of the time!)
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
Pieter-Jan Maeyaert took a comfortable victory in his BMW in the Historic Cup. The BMW M3 E30 was immaculately prepared and it was put back in the trailer in the same condition as it came out. It was a great and controlled drive from Maeyaert!
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
Tielt has a long history with the town being of importance in the middle-ages. It also has a rich agricultural heritage and that allows the crews to navigate their way through some great fields!
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
The TAC Rally was one of the ‘Championship’ events, meaning that it is a compulsory round for the championship contenders. It was also one of the rounds on the flat Flemish roads, which presents a much different challenge to the roads down south, in Wallonia. Longer straights, 90 degree corners, narrow tarmac, and flat. It creates a unique challenge!
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
Rallying of this style really brings the rally to the people. The service park was near the centre of Tielt, and had a party atmosphere with live music at night. The stages were all easily accessible from the city and the rally centre was barely an hour drive from Brussels…
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
I just love this livery. The pixelated look is pretty awesome. Fredric Miclotte took 8th overall and 2nd in the Masters Cup.
Shot by Sam Tickell for RacerViews
The RacerViews info
By Sam Tickell
We are passionate, dedicated motorsport professionals.
In 2023 you will see us trackside and stage side with exclusive coverage of
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