History 1970s

1978 Ypres 24 Hours Rally (Belgium)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1978 Ypres 24 Hours Rally

Date: June 23–25, 1978

Host Country: Belgium

Surface: Asphalt

Total Distance: ~1,000 km

Total Starters: Approx. 100 crews

Total Finishers: N/A

Known for its relentless pace and unforgiving layout, the 1978 Ypres 24 Hours Rally tested drivers with tight village routes, frequent junctions, and high-speed farm roads under changing light and weather conditions. Alain Ambrosino and Daniel Le Saux demonstrated precision and resilience in their Datsun 160J, bringing home a major win for Datsun on one of Europe’s most competitive asphalt rallies.

Route

Westhoek and Heuvelland Stages: High-speed asphalt with tight chicanes, abrupt braking zones, and fast junctions.
Night Sections: Long dark stretches tested visibility and consistency, often with mist and light drizzle.
Farm Track Connectors: Sudden surface changes and narrow bridges increased the chance of costly mistakes.

The rally looped through the Flanders region, centered around Ypres, with stages often held on narrow farm roads flanked by ditches and poles, demanding exceptional precision at high speed.

Consistent rain on Saturday afternoon made the already slippery Belgian roads treacherous, putting a premium on clean lines and calm inputs.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Alain Ambrosino & Daniel Le Saux · Datsun 160J
2nd Place
Guy Colsoul & Alain Lopes · Opel Kadett GT/E
3rd Place
Jean-Pierre Gaban & Jean-Michel Etienne · Porsche 911 Carrera RS

Ambrosino’s smooth tarmac handling and Le Saux’s flawless pacing allowed them to capitalize on others’ mistakes—making the Datsun’s reliability count on a night where many slipped off line or lost time to cuts and spins.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Tight Road Margins: Deep drainage ditches and telephone poles left no margin for error at apexes.
  • Late-Night Driving: Fatigue and fading light increased mistakes on identical-looking farm roads.
  • Variable Grip: Rainfall made dry corners slick and punished aggressive setups not adjusted for mixed conditions.

The 1978 Ypres 24 Hours Rally was a tactical and mental marathon—Ambrosino’s focused execution earned Datsun a proud victory in one of tarmac rallying’s most respected battlegrounds.

← Previous Event 1978 Scottish Rally (United Kingdom)
Back to Events Index
1978 Rajd Polski (Poland) Next Event →

Watch rallies anywhere — bypass region blocks with NordVPN.

Fast servers for HD streams Servers in 60+ countries 30-day money-back

Unblock coverage — Save up to 77% + 3 months free

Sponsored link. Using our partner links helps support Compromised Internals at no extra cost to you.