Ypres - SS6: Loix in front heading into day two

After SS4: Third stage win for flying Loix

Freddy Loix has extended his lead of the Geko Ypres Rally to 6.7 seconds with his third fastest stage time of the day in his Škoda Fabia Super 2000. But while Loix celebrated, there was despair for his team-mate, the IRC title leader, Juho Hänninen who went off into a ditch approximately 10 kilometres into the stage.

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Kris Meeke, last year’s Ypres winner, holds second overall with Jan Kopecký third. Hänninen’s misfortune has promoted Thierry Neuville into fourth in his Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207. Countrymen Pieter Tsjoen and Bernd Casier complete the top six in fifth and sixth places respectively.

After SS5: Meeke wins stage; Loix still leads

Kris Meeke has ended Freddy Loix’s run of stage wins on the Geko Ypres Rally by topping the times on the second Westouter run. Meeke completed the test one second faster than Loix to narrow the Belgian’s margin out front to 5.7s with one stage remaining until Friday’s overnight halt.

Jan Kopecký is still third in his works Škoda Fabia, almost 20 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Thierry Neuville in a Peugeot 207. Pieter Tsjoen and Bernd Casier are still fifth and sixth respectively in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.

After SS6: Loix in front heading into day two

Freddy Loix will take a lead of 5.8s over Kris Meeke into the second day of the Geko Ypres Rally, round six of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The veteran Belgian, known affectionately as ‘Fast Freddy’, more than lived up to his name by going fastest on four of the day’s six stages in his factory Škoda Fabia.

Jan Kopecký is still third in his works Škoda Fabia but is now 16.3s adrift of Meeke. Thierry Neuville heads a trio of Belgian drivers in fourth with Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen seventh in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

Overall positions after SS6