This year, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) celebrates ten years since its inception. This is, therefore, the eleventh season, and, as is customary, it begins in the Upper Gatineau region of Quebec with the presentation of the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki. It is always a spectacular event for the throngs of fans along the course (despite the frigid temperatures), who admire the rally cars tackling the ice and snow at high speed.
This 2025 edition saw the victory go to Simon Vincent/Hubert Gaudreau at the wheel of their Subaru WRX STI. Battling for a spot on the national series podium, the Quebec duo excelled from the start to the finish, dominating the ECRC standings en route to an indisputable victory. At the end of the 14 competitive stages contested on Saturday, they finished two minutes and 35.3 seconds ahead of Ontarians Jeremy Drake/Deric Jackson, also in a Subaru.
Drake/Johnson earned their second place after a spectacular battle with another Ontarian team composed of Trevor Pougnet/Ryan Rouleau (Prepared 4WD Subaru), finishing just 7.1 seconds behind! On the tricky roads that made up the Rallye Perce-Neige, with very little room for error, the slightest crew mistake was often followed by either an excursion into a snowbank or something even worse. Earning a podium after a well-fought battle for mere seconds, was a great result.
The Top 4 was rounded off by the 2024 ECRC champion and winner of Rallye Perce-Neige 2024, Vincent Lalande. The young driver, teamed up with Leah Brisset, did not have a relaxing rally in his new Subaru, but the event points earned could make a big difference at the end of the season. Lalande/Brisset finished in front of Vincent Trudel/Michelle Miller and Olivier Martel/Vincent Hubert. These three teams completed a Top 6 of nothing but Subarus, ahead of 2-wheel drive winners Mikael Arsenault/Layla Zigby. Having left 4-wheel drive in 2024, Arsenault was making his debut at the wheel of a newly acquired Peugeot 208. The Arsenault/Zigby duo impressed as the only 2-wheel drive car in the top 10 ECRC competitors.
Frédéric Gagné/Alexandre Bessette (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo), Patrick Richard/Danny Hudon (Subaru, second in Prepared 4WD), and Jonathan Drake/Ian Lantz (Subaru) finished in eighth, ninth, and tenth spots. This rally also showcased the talent of young Charles L’Estage, co-driven by his cousin Juliette L’Estage, who finished eleventh overall while winning the Prepared 2WD Class in his Ford Fiesta.
In total, 16 of the 22 teams registered in the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship finished the 2025 Rallye Perce-Neige. The event also counted towards the North American Rally Cup and the Canadian Rally Championship, which were won by 2023 ECRC champion Jean-Sébastien Besner, co-driven by Yvan Joyal in a Ford Fiesta R5.
The Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) comprises nine rounds this season, spread across Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The next round will be the rebirth of the Voyageurs Rally in the Catchacoma region of Ontario on April 5th.
Overall Rallye Perce-Neige Results
01: S. Vincent/H. Gaudreau (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) – 1h 30m 24.2s
02: J. Drake/D. Jackson (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 2m 35.3s
03: T. Pougnet/R. Rouleau (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 2m 42.2s
04: V. Lalande/L. Brisset (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 3m 57.3s
05: V. Trudel/M. Miller (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 4m 43.4s
06: O. Martel/V. Hubert (Subaru Impreza WRX) + 5m 17.5s
07: M. Arsenault/L. Zigby (Peugeot 208) + 10m 23.9s
08: F. Gagne/A. Bessette (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) + 11m 38.0s
09: P. Richard/D. Hudon (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 12m 58.3s
10: J. Drake/I. Lantz (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) + 13m 11.8s