Bryan Bouffier has moved into third place on the GEKO Ypres Rally following Saturday’s second test, the 12.33-kilometre Watou stage. The Peugeot France 207 Super 2000 driver is now 3.3s clear of Pieter Tsjoen with one stage of Saturday’s opening loop remaining.
Freddy Loix was fastest through the stage in his ŠKODA Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 and leads Guy Wilks in the overall standings by 40.9s, despite admitting his intermediate tyres were not ideally suited to the drying asphalt roads.
Wilks, who is using cut soft-compound slick tyres on his Peugeot UK 207, said the mud being inadvertently dragged onto the road by leader Loix meant his tyres were not proving as affected for the largely dry stage. “It’s dry but still very slippery,” said Wilks.
Overall positions after SS8:
| Pos. | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loix Freddy / Miclotte Fréderic | Škoda Fabia S2000 | 1h06m41.8s |
| 2 | Wilks Guy / Pugh Phil | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +40.9s |
| 3 | Bouffier Bryan / Panseri Xavier | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +1m24.1s |
| 4 | Tsjoen Pieter / Vanneste Lara | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +1m27.4s |
| 5 | Weijs Hans / Degandt Bjorn | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +2m00.2s |
| 6 | Casier Bernd / Caesemaeker Francis | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +2m12.7s |
| 7 | Gardemeister Toni / Suominen Tapio | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +2m21.1s |
| 8 | Snijers Patrick / Gitsels Johan | Mini John Cooper Works S2000 | +2m36.7s |
| 9 | Sołowow Michal / Baran Maciej | Ford Fiesta S2000 | +2m53.3s |
| 10 | Rossetti Luca / Chiarcossi Matteo | Fiat Grande Punto S2000 | +2m57.3s |
| 11 | Kruuda Karl / Järveoja Martin | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +3m08.3s |
| 12 | Betti Luca / Barone Maurizio | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +3m10.1s |
| 13 | Ten Brinke Bernhard / Thierie Davy | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +3m54.8s |
| 14 | Van Eldik Mark / Buysmans Robin | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +4m07.3s |
| 15 | Abbring Kevin / Mombaerts Erwin | Citroën DS3 R3T | +4m10.5s |