Text and photos by Frédéric Senterre

Jean-Sébastien Besner and Yvan Joyal scored their third career victory at Rallye Défi, their second of the 2025 CRC season. The duo completed the rally in 1:44:37.4, finishing with a commanding lead of 3:40.7 over second place. An emotional Besner called his whole team up to the podium to thank them for preparing such a fast, reliable car and for the joy they shared all weekend.

Cordero fights through electrical gremlins

Mexico’s Ricardo Cordero endured a tough weekend filled with electrical problems. At every service, his team scrambled to swap parts and diagnose the issues. Despite the setbacks, Cordero still managed to set four stage wins, salvaging a strong second-place finish and valuable championship points.

Vincent/Gaudreau consistent on the podium

Simon Vincent and Hubert Gaudreau proved their pace with a steady run, holding third overall from start to finish. Even with a few car performance challenges, they crossed the line just 29.6 seconds behind the FIA-spec Rally2 and R5 machinery.

Production class – Pougnet/Rouleau strong in STI

Trevor Pougnet and Ryan Rouleau once again impressed in their production-class Subaru STI, finishing a solid sixth overall.

Tight battle in two-wheel drive

The 2WD category delivered high drama, with three Peugeot 208 Rally cars and a Ford Fiesta R2 locked in battle. From day one, Nicolas Laverdière/Nicolas Fouteret and Mikael Arsenault/Matthieu Belhacene exchanged fastest times. On SS3, Laverdière/Fouteret clinched an incredible second fastest overall time, while Arsenault/Belhacene were sidelined after breaking a suspension component and going off-road.

The fight resumed Saturday morning, with the three Peugeots trading stage wins within mere seconds of each other. On SS8 (Vinoy – 4.23 km), the times were razor-thin:

• Vincent Lalande / Leah Brisset – 2:39.2
• Nicolas Laverdière / Nicolas Fouteret – 2:39.3
• Mikael Arsenault / Matthieu Belhacene – 2:39.

But misfortune struck when Laverdière Rally Team hit a large rock dislodged by earlier competitors, breaking suspension parts and ending their charge for the win

Rising stars shine

Young duo Vincent Lalande and Leah Brisset began cautiously, adapting to their new Peugeot 208 Rally and to 2WD after moving from four-wheel drive. By the saturday, they were already on pace. With experienced rivals sidelined, they moved into the class lead and never looked back, taking a class victory in 2WD and 9th overall.

L’Estage family continues the legacy

The L’Estage family was once again on the entry list, with Charles L’Estage and cousin Juliette L’Estage competing together. Only weeks after acquiring his new Ford Fiesta R2, Charles quickly came to terms with his car, regularly posting times in the top three in 2WD. Their consistency was rewarded with second in 2WD and 10th overall.

At the finish, Charles reflected:
“I couldn’t have asked for a better result. I learned how to push the car at higher speeds and how to use its capabilities. There’s still plenty of work ahead – this is just the beginning.”

Royer/Voyzelle-Montminy complete the 2WD podium

Mathieu Royer and Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy battled engine issues all weekend, and even survived a half-roll in Montpellier, to bring their 2004 Nissan Sentra home in third place in 2WD.
“Despite our engine problems and that half-roll, Défi 2025 went much better for us compared to past years, because we finished every single stage.”

Looking ahead – Charlevoix next

With the Rocky Mountain Rally canceled, the next CRC round will be Rallye de Charlevoix from October 31 to November 2. The championship fight is still wide open, as Jean-Sébastien Besner and Ricardo Cordero continue to trade the lead in the standings!

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Text and photos by Frédéric Senterre