Drama, Dominance, and Surprise at the 2024 Rally of the Tall Pines
Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
After a rainy recce day with cold downpours, competitors were relieved to experience a dry Rally of the Tall Pines! This year’s event featured over 170 km of intense competition spread across 15 stages, testing drivers and teams to their limits.
Early Leaders Face Trouble
Jérôme Mailloux and Philippe Poirier started the event as the first car on the road, followed by Antoine L’Estage and Alan Ockwell, with Jean-Sébastien Besner and Yvan Joyal rounding out the top three road positions.
The 2022 champions, Mailloux and Poirier (Test Racing), maintained a consistent pace early in the day, finishing second on the first five stages. Unfortunately, their rally came to a dramatic end after Stage 6, when a hard landing from a big jump broke crucial suspension components.
Meanwhile, L’Estage and Ockwell (CAS Compétition) dominated the early stages, setting the fastest time on the first eight. However, their campaign was cut short when they struck a rock, damaging the suspension.
“We came back to have fun—and we did! It was an incredible day here at the Tall Pines Rally, winning the first 8 stages and building a strong lead. We weren’t even pushing, but unfortunately, we clipped a rock over a crest, we broke a spindle, which ended our rally early.
It’s tough to finish the season this way, and we’re definitely disappointed, but that’s rallying! We’ll see what comes next—stay tuned!”– Antoine L’Estage
Besner and Joyal Take the Win
With both L’Estage and Mailloux out of contention, Jean-Sébastien Besner and Yvan Joyal managed their pace to secure a well-deserved victory in their Ford Fiesta R5, taking the top step of the podium at the 2024 Rally of the Tall Pines.
Max McRae Shines in 2WD
Max McRae and Cameron Fair (Team FJ and Stellantis Motorsport) delivered an astonishing performance in their 2WD Peugeot 208 Rally4, flying through the stages to claim second overall. The pair won three stages outright, finishing only 53 seconds behind the seasoned Besner/Joyal duo.
“Myself and my co-driver had an awesome day competing at the Rally of the Tall Pines yesterday! Enjoyed the super fast stages and spent a lot of time in the air! Hopefully be back next year. Thanks everyone for the support!”
-Max McRae
Local Heroes Complete the Podium
Local duo Jonathan Drake and Ian Lantz brought their 2001 Subaru Impreza STi to the final podium position, a result that was the culmination of a perfectly executed rally.
“This rally, everything came together for us. The car worked perfectly, the setup was great, Ian did awesome on the notes, and the conditions were amazing to go fast. Our goal was to win 1st OPRC, but finishing 3rd nationally on the podium alongside Max McRae at my hometown rally is a dream come true.”
-Jonathan Drake
Leblanc Brothers Prioritize the Championship
The Leblanc Brothers entered the event with high hopes of gain additional points for their 2WD championship battle against Chris Greenhouse. With the title fight in mind, they focused on securing points rather than going all out to challenge the young McRae.
“This weekend, we had the chance to test our speed against a pro driver, which shows once again that we still haven’t yet fully mastered our 2WD car.”
-André Leblanc
Strong Results for Laverdière Rally Team
Nicolas Laverdière and Nicolas Fouteret of the Laverdière Rally Team had a smooth and drama-free rally, finishing third in the 2WD class with their production-spec Ford Fiesta.
Karianne Hubert, with co-driver Éric Dubé, claimed victory in the Lady’s class, finishing an impressive 9th overall to cap off a strong showing.
Championship leaders in 2WD, Chris Greenhouse & Ryan Scott, finished 7th overall and 4th in the 2WD class.
“We came into the event knowing that we did not need to win to secure the championship. So we did not feel much pressure. The morning stages felt very good for us, and we traded times back-and-forth with Leblanc. But neither of us could touch Max McRae.”
The 2024 Rally of the Tall Pines once again proved why it’s a staple of the Canadian Rally Championship. From dramatic retirements to breakout performances, the event showcased the resilience, skill, and passion of competitors across all classes. With over 170 km of challenging stages, the rally pushed teams to their limits, rewarding consistency and precision. Congratulations to all the winners and participants who made this year’s Tall Pines. The countdown to the last event of the season, the Big White Winter Rally, starts now!
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Article : Frédéric Senterre
Photos by :
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