Leg 1 – 26 january 2025

The Winter Trial has officially kicked off! Today marked the start at the Salzburgring in Austria. Leg 1 began with an exciting test on a large closed-off terrain. Unfortunately, one team didn’t make it to the starting line. Car number 15, the beautifully restored BMW 02 of Fer d’Arnaud and Michiel Oortman Gerlings, had to withdraw early due to a broken differential. However, since the gentlemen had brought their tuxedos, they decided to make the most of their last evening in style!

After the start, the route headed south for the first regularity tests. Lunch was enjoyed in a stunning castle in Mittersill before it was time to set course for Italy. Ice and snow were expected but were surprisingly manageable (depending on your perspective). As per tradition, the arrival at the hotel in Misurina was a true celebration, with everyone visibly more relaxed by the end of the day.

Day one featured challenging tests and regularity trials that required a sharp focus. For some—experienced teams included—it took a bit of getting used to, resulting in a wonderfully diverse Top 3 leaderboard.

Standings after Leg 1:

Trial
1. Rob van der Leeuw & Maurits Verhoeff
2. Diederik Nolten & Tom Hendriks
3. Werner Budding & Remco Luksemburg

Challenge
1. Egid Curfs & Alan Petit
2. Henk-Jan Luiten & Robert Luiten
3. Cooper Goei & Marsha Goei

For all results and standings:click here!

Leg 2 – 27 january 2025

The second day of the Winter Trial kicked off in Misurina, Italy. A day filled with ten mountain passes and plenty of snow. The route, which included the snow-covered Passo di Giau as part of RS 2.1, led the participants to the stunning Venetian villa in Agordo—one of the oldest remaining villas of its kind. The Passo di Giau was tackled by many with grins from ear to ear, although for some, the slippery conditions proved a little too much: one unlucky snow pole was expertly taken down. By who? The ‘WANTED posters’ describe a dark blue car made in the land of Ikea.

Not long after, Irene Blauwkuip’s beautiful Giulia lost the battle against the extreme slipperiness, landing firmly in a snowbank. The Classic Job team was already en route to assist when a snowplow arrived. The driver, clearly in no mood for extra duties (“lavoro, lavoro, lavoro”), initially refused to help. But when Carlo from De Car Guys explained in something that sounded Italian that this was no ordinary car, but a piece of Italian car-heritage stuck in the snow of its homeland, the tow cable was finally attached.

After conquering the Passo di Giau, the group descended to the lower-altitude Pedavena, where a visit to La Birreria, one of the largest breweries in the region, was in order. In the spacious parking lot, participants held a slalom race—with two cars at a time weaving through the cones.

After lunch, the northward journey began. The route climbed back into the Dolomites via Lago di Mis, taking a different path than in the morning. Once again, the roads were fully white, icy, and winding. The estimated number of bends today? We lost count after 1,000!

As the day came to an end and participants headed to bed after a nightcap, the snow continued to fall heavily. This means Leg 3 will likely begin with a very snowy start before the rally makes its way toward Slovenia.

Results Leg 2:

Trial:
1. Shane Houlihan and Richard Pain
2. Andrew Boland and Tony Brooks
3. Werner Budding en Remco Luksemburg

Challenge
1. Raymond Slag and Judith van Kleef
2. Cooper Goei and Marsha Goei
3. Nick Maris and Pete Johnson

For all results and standings:click here!

Leg 3 and 4 – 28 january 2025

The third day, also the third leg, started with snow. Lots of snow. Due to heavy snowfall, two regularity tests couldn’t take place: RS 3.1 and shortly after lunch, RS 3.5. Although these cancellations were clearly listed in the latest bulletin, it seems that message didn’t reach all teams. As a result, a few found themselves, quite literally, facing a dead-end street.

After the closed RS 3.1, the route was set towards Slovenia. It was a day full of changes, not just with the puzzles in the ‘hand-outs,’ but also in terms of the weather… Unbelievable, the amount of rain and hail that came pouring down in such a short time. Even Elliot Dale, who’s been a participant for about ten years, found it quite intense: “In all these ten years, I’ve never skipped a single mile because of the weather, but this afternoon we decided to sit one out for a bit.”

1. Rob van der Leeuw and Maurits Verhoeff
2. John Temmink and Wouter Bakker
3. Polly Moes and Emile de Boer

Challenge
1. Egid Curfs and Alan Pettit
2. Raymond Slag and Judith van Kleef
3. Nick Maris and Pete Johnson

1. Rob van der Leeuw and Maurits Verhoeff
2. Ed Abbott and Mike Cochrane
3. Phil Garratt and Kieron Brown

For all results and standings:click here!

Leg 5 – 29 january 2025

And then it’s already Wednesday, and we begin the second half of the Winter Trial. The day starts early in Bled, where not only is there some tinkering with cars, but also several teams have to drop out for various reasons. The course is set westward, with the final destination today being Leoben in Austria.
Repairs are also being carried out. For example, the Mercedes of George Wüst and Kimberly Wüst – Van de Ree is quickly fitted with a fuel pump bought in Bled.

The route consists again of many regularities, and the surroundings change by the minute. The weather conditions also shift every hour. Today, we’re driving on paved roads, in the snow, and on unpaved roads. Classic rally driving, at its finest! One of the most beautiful stages today is RS 5.5, Maria’s Heaven. This stage is named after Maria Pels of De Car Guys, due to her love for American cars. The observant ones among us may have noticed: at the finish of the stage, you pass a massive building filled with thousands of old and rusty American artifacts. Maria and Carlo were present around the unpaved roads of the stage to capture footage for the final film on Friday, even following Gernot Zöhrer and Stefanie Söls in their Volvo, and later Elliot Dale and Charlotte Ryall in their Bentley. Though Carlo would have much preferred driving his trusty and fast ’72 Giulia Super, he had to admit that the large and heavy Lexus RX 450h+ handled the unpaved roads remarkably well in rally style. The footage from this can’t be found in the Daily Reports but will be shown in the After Movie during the gala evening.

The day ends at the Fahrtechnikzentrum Fohnsdorf test track. Sixty teams send their classics over the beautifully set-out course. The Bogey time is 3 minutes and 30 seconds, and drivers really have to push themselves to beat that time. With an average of about four cars on the track and the setting sun, it’s a fantastic spectacle to watch.

The final stop is the Asia Hotel & Spa in Leoben. The drivers and navigators prepare for a long thursday, the second with a night loop. This day is undoubtedly one of the hardest and longest, and it’s also the day where anything can change. Goodnight, everyone—rest up, we’ll be back at the start bright and early tomorrow!

Standings will follow shortly…

Leg 6 and 7 – 30 january 2025

Will follow shortly…

Leg 8 and finish – 31 january 2025

Will follow shortly…