Welcome to the 44th running of the Eurol Hellendoorn Rally, a weekend that was always set to be a competitive and a thrilling edition to the Dutch rally calendar. With high expectations for Bernhard ten Brinke , all eyes were focussed on the battles up front . The fan-favourite was chasing his fourth overall victory against a strong and relentless field of competitors, among which the Luxembourger Grégoire Munster.
The battle of the BeNeLux is on.
Fridays overview :
With the sun setting and the darkness slowly creeping in, the drivers are getting ready for the six special stages on the Friday night. After a delayed start due to unsafe spectator conditions the Hellendoorn Rally 2026 was underway. The first loop of three stages were all won by ten Brinke and Woodburn, with Munster and Withers only 4.4 seconds behind.
Spurred on by ten Brinke’s push in the first stages, Grégoire Munster answered by winning all three stages in the second and final loop of the night. On special stage 6 he managed to turn a 1.0 second deficit into a 1.6 second lead, and ending the first day as leader in the standings.
One of the stars from the ONRK, Yannick Vrielink, got into trouble early on in the evening. His equipment issues turned out to be too severe, so the Dutchman had to abandon his campaign after just one evening.
Day one ended as follows:
- #13 Munster/Withers 30:09.3
- #1 Ten Brinke/Woodburn 30:10.9
- #6 Martens/Smeets 30:50.9
- #5 Rostek/Kopczyk 30:54.7
- #2 Van Deijne/Bakker 30:56.7
The stage is set and it’s still anyone’s game at the top.
Saturdays overview:
At noon the forests and fields around Hellendoorn were once again alive with the sound of Rally, as the drivers started the first of four loops on the final day.
Throughout the day Munster and ten Brinke continued to be the main characters of this year’s Hellendoorn Rally, with Munster slightly on top as he steadily increased his lead over the rest of the field. Dutchman Kevin van Deijne also proved to be a force to be reckoned with, climbing three places before the final stage.
Ten Brinke crashes on crucial stage..
Entering stage 11, dubbed Back to the 80’s, Bernhard ten Brinke was only 10 seconds behind Grégoire Munster. Overall victory was still well within reach for the three-time winner. Near the end of the mostly unpaved Eelen stage, ten Brinke got caught out by a ditch alongside the road. His Toyota Yaris GR Rally2 got turned around and was beached on the crest of said ditch. Spectators rushed to his car to push him out, and got it done just before Thomas Martens came around. Fortunately for ten Brinke and Woodburn, they managed to finish the stage and go straight to the service park. They ended up losing almost a minute to Munster and Withers, and dropping down to P4 in the general standings.
Munster wins and impressive comeback Ten Brinke.
With his main rival no longer breathing down his neck, Grégoire Munster suddenly found himself with a royal lead over second place which was inherited by Kevin van Deijne after ten Brinke’s troubles. To ensure victory, Munster made one final push to take the following two stage wins, before dropping his pace and bringing the car home.
Despite his earlier troubles and subsequent tumbling down the standings, Bernhard ten Brinke showed his tenacity and managed to climb back to P2 after the final stage.
Van Deijne clean sweeps ONRK.
Kevin van Deijne completed the podium and finished in an impressive third place, claiming the Open Dutch Rally Championship in the process. He dominated this year’s ORNK and went unbeaten in every race he entered.
#2 Kevin van Deijne | Event: 44th Eurol Hellendoorn Rally | Location: Hellendoorn, The Netherlands.| Photographer: Tom Lloyd @lxco.photo
FINAL STANDINGS
- #13 Munster/Withers 1:28:44.0
- #1 Ten Brinke/Woodburn 1:29:51.9
- #2 Van Deijne/Bakker 1:29:56.4
- #5 Rostek/Kopczyk 1:29:57.7
- #6 Martens/Smeets 1:30:02.7
Article written and produced by Ingmar Bouwman.
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