To ensure the future of rallying, young people are needed. That is why the Pirelli Junior Belgian Rally Championship deserves due attention. This weekend, seven youngsters will be at the start of the 7th round of the championship, the ConXioN Omloop van Vlaanderen. Needing some rest after a very busy programme at the beginning of the year, title holder Grégoire Munster will not be at the appointment. The battle between the young talents will therefore be very open in the Roeselare area.
A priori, the main contenders for the Junior victory will be Tobias Brüls and Gilles Pyck, Munster's two closest pursuers in the championship. Mathematically, the two Peugeot 208 R2 drivers are not even counted out for the Junior title yet, but they are mainly fighting for the closest place of honour behind Munster at the end of the season.
Of course, there are other drivers with ambitions. Glenn Snaet, who is making his reappearance after a heavy blow in the Wallonia Rally, also wants to score maximum points. The young driver from Staden wants to have a shot at victory in front of his own crowd. The same goes for Thibaud Mazuin, 4th in the standings, and Valentin Vertommen. Charles Munster, in the absence of his brother Grégoire, will have to uphold the family honour with his Opel Adam Cup.
The fastest youngsters face a tough challenge on the 20 special stages of the ConXion Omloop van Vlaanderen. Indeed, to score a bonus point, they will have to beat two references of note: Dutchman Timo van der Marel, official pilot of Opel Netherlands, always very fast with his Opel Adam R2.
Junior BRC intermediate standings (6/9): 1. G. Munster 94; 2. T. Brüls & G. Pyck 26; 4. Th. Mazuin & A. Molle 18; 6. G. Snaet 15; 7. J. Wagemans 10; 8. V. Vertommen 9; 9. A. Boxoen 8; 10. Charles Munster 7; 11. M. Merlevede 6; 12. L. Vansteenkiste 5....
(Photos by Loïc Nautet)
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