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Originally scheduled for April 5 but postponed due to weather issues, the Rally of the Voyageurs took place this Saturday in the Catchacoma region of Ontario. It served as the second round of the 2025 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC), a series celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and, for the first time ever, welcoming the Voyageurs rally; a revived event that was once among the most hotly contested rallies in Eastern Ontario.

This year, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) celebrates ten years since its inception. This is therefore the eleventh season and, as is customary, it begins in the Upper Gatineau region of Quebec with the presentation of the Rallye Perce-Neige, in Maniwaki. Always a spectacular event for the throngs of fans along the course (despite the frigid temperatures), who admire the rally cars tackle the ice and snow at high speed.

This weekend, as part of Ontario’s traditional Tall Pines Rally, the 2024 season of the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) concluded. Contested on completely dry gravel roads, which have often been covered in tricky snow and ice in past years, the event was dominated by Ontarian Jonathan Drake and his co-driver Ian Lantz, in a Subaru WRX STI. In 2-wheel drive, Quebecker Nicolas Laverdière, co-driven by Frenchman Nicolas Fouteret in a Ford Fiesta, earned his third consecutive victory, clinching the 2WD championship title. Vincent Lalande, the young prodigy of 16 years of age who was absent from competition at this final round, was crowned champion in the season’s overall standings.

This past weekend, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) presented the Rallye de Charlevoix, the penultimate round of its 2024 season. Contested under sunny skies with the prestigious Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie as its headquarters, the event took place over two days of competition and was filled with twists and turns in front of a once again very large crowd. By Sunday’s finish, it was the young 16-year-old prodigy Vincent Lalande, co-driven by Amélie Bélanger, who recorded his third victory of the season. Lalande thus took over the lead in the championship with his Subaru WRX STI, while in the 2-wheel drive class, Nicolas Laverdière, co-driven by Frenchman Nicolas Fouteret, dominated the event with his Ford Fiesta.

This past weekend, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) presented the seventh of nine 2024 season rounds, as part of the Rallye Défi Petite Nation, in the Outaouais region of Quebec. The event, which was holding its 32nd edition, started under rainy skies on Saturday morning before seeing the dirt and gravel roads slowly dry up, with the sun making its appearance towards the end of the day to celebrate the success of Ontarians Jonathan Drake and Ian Lantz, who were victorious by a handful of seconds ahead of Quebeckers Sébastien Clark and Patrick Lévesque. In 2 wheel-drive, Nicolas Laverdière was triumphant, marking the first series victory for co-driver Nicolas Fouteret, of France.

Six weeks after the Rallye International Baie-des-Chaleurs in Québec, Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) teams were back to competition in Ontario to contest the Black Bear Rally. This event was won by Ontarians Trevor Pougnet and Ryan Rouleau, with their Subaru WRX STI, their first victory of the season. They became the fifth different overall winners in the six rallies contested so far in the 2024 ECRC.

Highly regarded as one of the most popular and appreciated rallies by North American competitors and fans alike, the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs, was presented this past weekend in New Richmond, in the Gaspé region of Quebec. The event also marked the 2024 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship midway point. Always a tough and tricky weekend, by the end of Saturday’s stages that counted towards the ECRC, the rally victory was claimed by Mikael Arsenault and co-driver Amélie Bélanger in a Subaru WRX STI.

Fourth round of the 2024 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) season, this was the inaugural edition of the Rallye Vallée de la Beauce, presented in the Beauce region, south of Quebec City, with headquarters in the municipality of St-Victor. This rally was held under sunny skies this past weekend, on fast gravel roads offering a exceptional challenge for the nearly thirty registered teams. In the end, the 16-year-old prodigy Vincent Lalande, co-driven by Matthieu Toupin, claimed the victory in his Subaru WRX STI.

Included in the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) calendar for the second time in its rich history, the Rallye de Sanair took place this past Saturday at the St-Pie-de-Bagot motorsports complex in Montérégie (Québec) and was claimed by Samuel Joyal and Philippe Poirier in a Test Racing Subaru WRX STI.

For the first time in its long and rich history, the motorsports complex Shannonville Motorsports Park welcomed a round of the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) this past Saturday. This event, named the Shannonville Stages Rally, constituted the second round of the 2024 ECRC season and was won by Olivier David and Leah Brisset in a Subaru WRX STI. It was the Quebec duo’s first series victory, while another Quebec team made up of John Hudon and Josée Munger, realized the feat of finishing second overall and winning the 2-wheel drive class in their Toyota Echo.