End of the Belgian Rally Championship 2024. At the end of the nine rallies on the calendar, the champions are finally crowned! This year again, the competition was tough, proving the level of the national championship. Let’s come back to their coronation.
Cherain finally proclaimed
After coveting it for so many years, he finally got there, perhaps marking the pinnacle of his career! At the start of the season, Cédric Cherain was the only one to clearly display title ambitions. For his part, Maxime Potty, his proven competitor and reigning champion, seemed to want to turn to a program outside our territory. However, the title race was tough, marked by numerous twists and turns as well as the revelation of Niels Reynvoet.
At Haspengouw, the season is off to a flying start. While he is ideally placed, Cherain punctures and sees Maxime Potty catching up. In the end, the BMA representative won by only 3 seconds. Hot, hot! Then it’s time for the Division 2 events with the Rallye des Ardennes and the TAC. In Dinant, Potty is “the only tenor” present. He pocketed the gains of 2nd place, beaten by Jos Verstappen. For his part, Cédric Cherain favors the roads of Tielt. But the Liège rider slipped into a ditch while Niels Reynvoet emerged from the shadows with a first victory. The Flandrien continued during the Wallonie Rally, beating Potty and Cherain after a superb fight. At this stage, the former cyclist is 15 points ahead of the other Citroën driver while Cédric Cherain no longer really has room for error.
A few weeks later, it’s time for the Sezoens Rally. On a course mixing asphalt and dirt, Niels Reynvoet once again drives home the point. The Citroën driver signs a third consecutive victory. He is then ahead of Maxime Potty who still shows good consistency while Cherain is content with 9th place. For him, the title race seems compromised. Well almost! Indeed, in Ypres, the situation is completely turned upside down. Leader of the competition with a clear advantage, Niels Reynvoet goes off the road and retires. Second in the event, Potty comes back to just 2 points while Cédric Cherain, 3rd in the Westhoek, finally maintains his chances. However, he will have to work hard to get there.
Neither one nor two, the Hyundai driver is taking advantage of the traditional summer break to get back on track. At Omloop, while these two opponents made mistakes, Cédric Cherain won a great victory. Niels Reynvoet saves the furniture with a final podium. Immediately, at the East Belgian, it was Maxime Potty’s turn to win, catching up perfectly, ahead of the Hyundai driver and the former cyclist. Before Spa, 12 points separate the three men. Cédric Cherain is therefore more determined than ever in the spa town. But, faced with a formidable Jos Verstappen, the Liège player ultimately preferred to secure a second place synonymous with the title while Niels Reynvoet was forced to retire. Maxime Potty concluded the event in 3rd place and won the honorary title of vice-champion behind Cherain, whose joy was immense at the last TRC.
Dewilde, Verhaeghe and Septon also champions. Promotion cuts for Heindrichs and Ippen
In Junior competition, Jonas Dewilde had a very good season. The Opel driver was the most consistent and above all knew how to score big points on almost every occasion. Leader since the start of the season, he won a well-deserved title even before the end of the season. Behind him, Maxim Decock and Pierre-Manuel Brasseur were not unworthy with 2 victories as well. Author of a victory, Tom Heindrichs finished 4th but was crowned in the Stellantis Rally Cup. Stunning ! As for the Clio Trophy, it was the Dutchman Nard Ippens who won, having won two victories during the season.
As for the Historic championship, Koen Verhaeghe was rewarded for his consistency and commitment. While quite few of them have played the full season, the Ford driver has clearly shown great reliability. It is therefore logical that he won the title in this championship against Oliver Breittmayer and Dirk Deveux. As for Division 2, the crown goes to Jérôme Septon who is almost 40 points ahead of his runner-up, Thierry Schloesser. Congratulations everyone! Heading towards 2025 now.
By Simon F
