CHRISTOPHE JACOB AND ISABELLE REGNIER CLAIM FIRST FIA EUROPEAN HISTORIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP GRAVEL VICTORY, LEADING A HISTORIC ALL-FORD ESCORT TOP THREE IN FAFE
CLOSE FIGHT FOR THE PODIUM BEHIND, WITH JESUS FERREIRO PEREZ AND NEMO MAZZA COMPLETING A COMPETITIVE AND HARD-FOUGHT TOP THREE
Christophe Jacob delivered a commanding performance to secure his first-ever FIA European Historic Rally Championship victory on gravel at Historic Rally Fafe, heading a memorable Ford Escort lockout of the top three podium positions.
Co-driven by Isabelle Regnier, the Belgian driver guided his Ford Escort RS 1800 to a controlled victory, finishing 19.2 seconds clear of Spain’s Jesus Ferreiro Perez and Javier Anido Vasquez, with Sammarinese driver Nemo Mazza completing the all-Escort top three.
Jacob seized control of the rally from the second special stage and never looked back, expertly managing his advantage across Fafe’s demanding gravel stages. Behind him, Ferreiro Perez steadily distanced himself from Mazza to secure second place, while early rally leader Daniel Alonso Villaron saw his challenge unravel due to mechanical issues.
The result marked a rare and notable moment in EHRC competition, with three Ford Escorts occupying the top three positions – a feat not seen for some time in the championship.
Further down the order, Finland’s Pasi Hapulahti impressed to finish fourth overall in his Volvo 242, while Czech driver Oldrich Kovarik Jr rounded out the top five aboard his Skoda Favorit 136L.
As expected on Fafe’s challenging gravel stages, the rally featured several challenging moments. Nikolaos Pavlidis and Dimitrios Amaxopoulos (Fiat 131 Racing) exited the rally on the opening stage of Saturday after running off the road, while Australian pair Darryn Snooks and Steuart Snooks (Ford Escort RS1800) suffered an accident later in the day but escaped unharmed. Elsewhere, several front-runners including Kris Rosenberger and Siegfried Schwarz were sidelined by mechanical issues.
One of the standout stories came from the Subaru Impreza Turbo GT pair, competing under the expanded Appendix K regulations. After retiring on Friday’s opening stage with a fuel pressure issue, Rosenberger made unusual use of the early finish to his day by heading to the golf course before returning to competition. Restarting under rally regulations on Saturday, the crew delivered a strong comeback to claim Category 5 honours, salvaging a positive result from an otherwise disrupted weekend.
In the category battles, Jesus Diez Villaroel and Guifre Pujol Solsona (Ford Escort Twin Cam) secured victory in Category 1, while Jukka-Pekka Jokela and Jukka Jamsen (Ford Escort 1600) claimed Category 2 honours. Overall winner Jacob also topped Category 3, with Category 4 going to Oldrich Kovarik and Marek Kapic (Skoda Favorit 136L), and Category 5 to Rosenberger and Schwarz.
Despite the challenging conditions and three retirements, 16 crews made the finish, underlining a solid and competitive outing for the championship’s inaugural round in northern Portugal.
Historic Rally Fafe once again delivered spectacular action and a strong start to the EHRC season, with Jacob’s breakthrough victory and Ford’s dominance setting the tone for the battles ahead.
With the Portugal round now concluded, the championship turns its attention to round two at the Historic Acropolis Rally in May. Known for its rough gravel surfaces and fast, winding mountain roads, the legendary Greek event promises another thrilling chapter in the FIA EHRC gravel season.
