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After five years of absence, the Rallye de Sanair once again found itself on the Quebec motorsport competition calendar. Using multiple roads, neighbouring paths, and tracks at the Sanair complex in St-Pie-de-Bagot (east of Montréal, in Montérégie), the event held its 34th edition this past Saturday. For the very first time in its history, in addition to the being part of the Quebec Championship, it also counted towards the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC), replacing the Rallye de Québec which was initially scheduled for this coming June but eventually cancelled altogether.

Returning to its traditional date in the heart of winter, the Rallye Perce-Neige Maniwaki, held in the Haute Gatineau region of Québec, kicked off the Canadian national rally season this past weekend. Competing in the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) portion of the rally, this season-launching event was won by two-time series champion (2016, 2028) Jean-Sébastien Besner, in a Mitsubishi Evo Lancer. Co-driven by Yvan Joyal, the Montreal driver was consistent on the icy and snowy roads that made up this challenging rally. 

The conclusion of the 2022 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) took place this weekend with a double-header program as part of Bancroft, Ontario’s Rally of the Tall Pines. On frozen gravel roads covered in ice patches and mud, competitors needed to fine tune their concentration levels for this event. Olivier Martel and Vincent Hubert were up to the challenge and won both regional rounds in their Test Racing Subaru WRX STI. In doing so, the duo also claimed the 2022 ECRC driver’s and co-driver’s championship titles.

This weekend, Olivier Martel and his co-driver Marie-France Desmarais won the Rallye de Charlevoix, the penultimate event of the 2022 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC). The rally, which was celebrating the 35th year since its creation, was spectacular to follow, with numerous changes in the leaderboard, in perfect weather conditions consisting of blue skies and warm temperatures for the duration of the event.

The Rallye Défi Petite Nation, the traditional event to mark the end of summer, took place this past weekend in the Montpellier (Outaouais) region of Québec. After a one month pause, it was time for the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) to present its fifth of eight rounds that make up the season. An event contested in perfect weather conditions with seasonal temperatures saw victory go to Jean-Sébastien Besner and Yvan Joyal, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

After three events contested in Quebec, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) presented the Black Bear Rally last weekend in Ontario, as the fourth round of its 2022 season. A rally held in dusty conditions and hot summer temperatures, this event’s history includes winners as prestigious as American Travis Pastrana. This year, only teams from Ontario and Quebec were registered, with the victory going to Jonathan Drake and Ian Lantz.

Back on the calendar after a twenty-year absence, the Rallye International de Québec – Tour de Portneuf took place this past Saturday, in the Portneuf area, with its headquarters located in Ste-Christine d’Auvergne. This event counted towards the North American FIA NACAM championship, the Quebec Championship and the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC), the latter of which included the majority of registered teams.

The Rallye Perce-Neige, the first round of the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC), was held this past weekend in Maniwaki, Québec. Initially scheduled for early February but postponed due to ongoing provincial restrictions, the event was faced with another major concern: the state of the roads, largely affected by springtime thawing, leaving a very muddy route.