Press Release - July 3, 2016

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Local favourites André and René Leblanc Take the Win at Rallye Baie des-Chaleurs

July 3, 2016.- As the third of nine rounds in the 2016 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship  (ECRC), the popular Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs in the Gaspé region of Québec, saw local favourites, brothers André and René Leblanc, win by 37 seconds ahead of Maxime Labrie/Anik Barrette at the end of an action-packed event. In two-wheel drive, multi-time Quebec champion Simon Dubé earned himself another victory, co-driven by American Aaron Crescenti.

Considered to be one of the best performance rallies in North America, the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs attracted a high number of participants this year, of which no less than twenty-six were entered in the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship. 

From the start, there was an intense battle at the head of the pack.  By the end of the first stage, four teams, all driving Subaru WRX STIs, were within one second of each other.  Leading that group were Steeve Hobbs and Philippe Poirier, who were ahead of Craig Henderson, back in the driver’s seat (co-driven by his common-law wife Lyne Murphy), Mikael Arsenault/Amélie Bélanger and the Leblanc brothers. With three local teams nipping at his heels, Steeve Hobbs’ task wasn’t an easy one.  Unfortunately, mechanical issues ended his rally early. 

From the second stage, André and René Leblanc took over the lead and never looked back as they drove to victory in front of thousands of cheering fans, thrilled to see one of their own at the top of the podium. The Leblanc brothers’ success did not come without constant pressure from Maxime Labrie and Anik. Winners of the Rallye Perce-Neige at the beginning of the season, they finished this rally thrity-seven seconds behind the Leblancs.

The ECRC podium was completed by Simon Vincent as he drove another excellent race, this time co-driven by Hubert Gaudreau, who was replacing Vincent’s mother Dominique Cyr in the co-driver’s seat. Michel Bois/Nancy Frigon finished in fourth place, forty-two seconds behind Vincent/Gaudreau. The first four teams were all driving Subaru WRX STIs, and finished ahead of two-wheel drive winners Simon Dubé and Aaron Crescenti, in a Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The two-wheel drive victory was far from being a given for Dubé/Crescenti as the start of the event was highlighted by Martin Gauvin and Daniel Duchesneau driving a Citroën DS3 R3, just like the ones we see in the World Rally Championship. Unfortunately for them, mechanical problems ended their race while leading two wheel drive and third overall in ECRC !

Martin and Anthony Bruneau (Subaru WRX STI) rounded out the overall Top 6 ahead of another local team consisting of Mathieu and Alex-Samuel Leblanc, second in two-wheel drive with their Honda Civic. Sébastien Clark/Yanick Marin (Subaru WRX STI), Alexandre Laviolette/Alexandre Cyr (Honda Civic, third in two-wheel drive) and novices Maxim Ferlatte/Camille Joseph (Subaru Impreza) completed the top ten.

Championship leaders heading into this event, Jean-Sébastien Besner and Yvan Joyal (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.IX) had to settle for thirteenth place after suffering from mechanical issues early in the rally.  In total, twenty-one ECRC teams finished the event, contested on gravel and often muddy roads. 

The Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) consists of nine rounds this season, all at the regional level, spread out between Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime provinces. The Galway-Cavendish Forest Rally, the following round of the championship, will take place next Saturday in Catchacoma, Ontario.

2016 Calendar