The Motul Clio Rally Trophy returns on Saturday, March 23 during the opening of the 2024 Dutch rally season, the Zuiderzeerally. The enthusiasm for the Trophy is again strong in its third year with no fewer than 12 participants in Rally3, Rally4 and Rally5 versions of the Clio.
The Zuiderzeerally is a well-known name in Dutch rallying that returns to the Dutch rally calendar after a four-year absence. The competition is held around Kampen, where the typical dike tests make the Zuiderzee Rally a unique challenge. The fast roads on the dikes around Kampen provide few landmarks and the height differences between the test and the verge punish every mistake mercilessly.
New in the Trophy this year is the Rally3 version of the Clio. With four-wheel drive and more extensive aerodynamics, this is the most advanced version of the Clio. The appeal is clear with four teams immediately appearing in the new weapon.
Willem Wouter Overbeek is the reigning champion in the Motul Clio Rally Trophy and will switch to the Rally3 version this year. Although Overbeek won the title last year, he says he starts at the bottom again. “We tested once and it is really different. Everything goes faster, you approach corners faster, but you also pull the car through corners more easily. We are not going to be fooled by looking at the others, keep our heads down and run our own race. Christiaan (van der Rijsen) can help me with that, I am very happy that he is next to me again this year.” Overbeek's switch from Rally5 to Rally3 shows the progression opportunities that the Motul Clio Rally Trophy offers. “The Clio is a perfect car and it is great that we can take the next step within the Trophy. It offers everything you are looking for in the sport, it is competitive and great fun together.”
Overbeek faces tough competition in the Rally3/4 class. Jeroen and Ceriel Klein Kromhof already rode the necessary races with the Rally3 last year and therefore have the necessary experience in addition to pure speed. The 2022 champions, Ben van de Laar and Marlon Krieger, switched from Rally4 to Rally3 halfway through last year, with which they will also compete this year and already showed in Hellendoorn that they can compete at the front.
The first newcomers in the Motul Clio Rally Trophy this year are Maurice Kuijstermans and Kirsten Rothman. The duo rode their first race together seven years ago and after various brands they now find their way to the Renault Clio Rally4. With their two-wheel drive version they can compete against the four-wheel drive vehicles in the Rally3 version. The Rally4 is a lot lighter, which means Kuijstermans and Rothman can easily provide a surprise.
No fewer than seven teams will be at the start in Rally5. Many familiar names, sometimes in a new place and here again new faces. Elbert Deij and Nadia Muilwijk competed for the championship last year until the last match and can be expected to do well again this year. They will then have to deal with the duo of Mark Bierbooms and Nard Ippen, who will change seats this year. Last year Ippen mainly rode in Belgium, but managed to impress in two Dutch competitions with a first and second place. Bierbooms can take the wheel this year on the road to greater success.
Henri Kamphuis and Arjan Reefhuis rode a partial program last year in which they achieved several podium places. With a more extensive program, the duo could easily take a shot at the title this year. The same applies to John Coumans and Renaldo Lier. Last season they were involved in a nice battle with Elbert Deij almost every match, but some bad luck stood in the way of a top ranking. The high number of returnees shows how popular the Motul Clio Rally Trophy is. Esmee den Hartigh and René Bril, participants from the very beginning, will also be in action again this year in a Rally5 car. They can rely on their accumulated experience in the hunt for good rankings.
The second new duo, with a wealth of experience, is that of Johan Deen and Harmen Scholtbalbers. Deen is an enthusiast of Trophy driving after taking his first steps in the sport in the Fiat Cinquecento Trofeo in the mid-nineties. After a break of almost 20 years, he now returns to the Motul Clio Rally Trophy together with the very experienced Harmen Scholtalbers. The 'Kobes family' can also be admired on Trophy trails again this year. Ingmar takes the wheel and will be assisted alternately by sisters Britt and Ragna.
The Zuiderzeerally is the first race of the Motul Clio Rally Trophy and will be held on Saturday March 23 around the start and finish place of Kampen. In total, the participants are presented with 9 tests with a total length of more than 80 kilometers.
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