June 29, 2025 – Held under beautiful, fully summery weather and cheered on by thousands of spectators in the special stages, the Rallye International Baie-des-Chaleurs in Gaspesia, Quebec, hosted the third round of the 2025 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) this weekend. Using only Saturday’s route, the ECRC witnessed a historic first as Quebec driver Mikael Arsenault and his French co-driver Layla Zigby claimed overall victory in their Peugeot 208 Rally4. After winning the two-wheel drive standings in the season opener at Rallye Perce-Neige, the duo has now become the first team to win an overall ECRC event with a two-wheel drive car, on a rally contested entirely on gravel and dirt roads.

Among the 34 teams that started this 2025 edition, 28 were registered in the ECRC, resulting in some spectacular battles, even if the front-runners’ positions remained relatively stable. From the opening stages – including the iconic Camp Brûlé stage, a highlight of the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs – Arsenault and Zigby took control of the overall lead. Driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4 built for the World Rally Championship’s two-wheel drive category and entered by Mikael Arsenault’s team with support from Team FJ (Stellantis Motorsport’s North American representative), the crew claimed victory with a margin of 2 minutes and 58 seconds over their nearest overall rivals, and 10 minutes and 49 seconds over the second-placed two-wheel drive crew.

Strong performers since the start, Sébastien Clark and Patrick Lévesque secured second place overall in their Subaru WRX STI. Clark and Lévesque led the other four-wheel drive cars through the first five stages, before local favorite William Pardiac, co-driven by Manuel Arsenault (also in a Subaru WRX STI), mounted a strong late rally. At the finish, just one minute and nine seconds separated the two crews, with Clark/Lévesque prevailing.

Third among the four-wheel drive competitors and fourth overall were Olivier Martel and Vincent Hubert (Subaru), finishing ahead of the winners of the Prepared 4WD class, American driver Andrew Benson and his Ontario-based co-driver Brandon Pace, also in a Subaru. Next came Simon Aubé and Ian Guité, followed by the all-female crew of Karianne Hubert and Marie-France Desmarais-Trépanier, rounding out the ECRC overall Top 7.

Classified eighth overall and second in two-wheel drive, young French driver Maxime Galpin – co-driven by Quebecer Jonathan Desgroseilliers – impressed once again in his first appearance at the event. Galpin only made his North American and gravel rally debut last fall at the Rallye de Charlevoix. Also driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4, Galpin and Desgroseilliers edged out Olivier Guité and Simon Levac, who finished third in 2WD with their Ford Fiesta R2.

The overall Top 10 was completed by Patrick Richard and Jean-Sébastien Delisle (Subaru, Prepared 4WD class), while the win in the Prepared 2WD class went to David Gagné and Pierre-Charles Babin in a Honda Civic. In total, 17 of the 28 ECRC-registered teams completed the 2025 edition of the Rallye International Baie-des-Chaleurs. The event continues this Sunday with additional special stages counting toward the Canadian Championship, the North American Cup, and the FIA NACAM series.

The Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) features eight events this season, held across Québec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The next round is scheduled for August 9 with the Black Bear Rally in Ontario.

For more information, please visit www.ecrc-crec.ca

Photo credit Danny Bujold

2025 ECRC Calendar