In the Ardeca Ypres Rally, the youngtimers are the favorites in the Historic BRC this weekend.

The BMW M3 E30s, in particular, are expected to play a leading role. Chris Ingram, who finished second overall last year with a VW Polo, will be competing and presenting Bjorn Syx’s brand new M3 E30 to Belgian rally fans.

This makes Ingram the ideal benchmark for Belgian top players, who are familiar with the region. It promises to be an exciting battle among the top players, including Pieter-Jan Maeyaert, Christophe, and Dedriek Merlevede, who traditionally perform well on the narrow lanes in Ypres. Paul Lietaer is aiming to compete with the BMWs. De Polle left his Opel Ascona 400 aside last weekend to save the car for the big event in Ypres.

The fifth BMW M3 E30 is the copy of Olivier Breittmayer, the winner of the opening competition in Haspengouw. Koen Verhaeghe starts in Ypres as the leader in the championship. In class HRC4, he faces tough competition from the Porsche of Geert Lacour and the Ford Escort Mk1 of Marijn Hoens. Patrick Mylleville’s Porsche 911 is a favorite in HRC3, although he should watch out for the fast Opel Kadett of Mathias Ver Eecke, the Porsche 911 of Piet Declercq, the original Triumph TR7 of Kevin Vanmassenhove, and the Ford Escort of John Morgan.

The big question is, can Paul Lietaer outperform the BMWs, or will Chris Ingram keep the Belgians in check? We’ll find out on Saturday evening.