Just one week after clinching the title in the Nissan Sentra Cup, Simon Vincent carried his winning momentum into the weekend by dominating the stages counting toward the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) at Rallye Défi Petite Nation.
Alongside co-driver Hubert Gaudreau, Vincent scored his second ECRC victory of 2025, following his season-opening win at Rallye Perce-Neige, behind-the-wheel of his Test Racing Subaru WRX STI. The duo claimed ten of the 15 special stages that counted toward the ECRC standings.
Making his return to a national and ECRC event, Yohan Tessier, with co-driver Philippe Poirier, finished second, just 1 minute and 5.8 seconds behind the winning crew. Their result also sealed a 1-2 finish for the Test Racing team in an event contested under periods of sunshine and light rain, and followed by thousands of fans lining the stages in the Petite Nation region of Outaouais in Quebec.
Locked in battle with Tessier/Poirier throughout the rally, Sébastien Clark, with co-driver Élise Racette, completed the podium after a consistent run at the front. He edged out Vincent Trudel and his American co-driver Michelle Miller (also in a Subaru), fresh from competing in a U.S. Championship event in Minnesota. Reflecting the intensity of the fights, less than 40 seconds separated crews classified from second to fourth.
Classified just 4.9 seconds behind Trudel/Miller in the overall results, Vincent Lalande and Leah Brisset triumphed in the Two-Wheel-Drive (2WD) category in their first start in 2WD competition with a brand-new Peugeot 208 Rally4. The young Quebec driver had virtually no testing before discovering his Peugeot at the Rallye Défi. Improving steadily over the event, he beat the class favourites to take a remarkable debut victory in the car.
One of those favourites was Mikael Arsenault, with Frenchman Matt Belhacene as co-driver for the first time in Canada. Driving a car freshly repaired after an off in a stage only counting towards the Canadian Championship the previous day, Arsenault/Belhacene secured second place in 2WD, giving Peugeot a 1-2 in the category, while also taking sixth overall in the ECRC.
Zachary Bourassa/Érika Seguin (Subaru WRX STI), Trevor Pougnet/Ryan Rouleau (Subaru WRX STI), and Charles L’Estage/Juliette L’Estage completed the ECRC top nine. For the L’Estages, the event was doubly successful as they also scored their first 2WD podium with their new Ford Fiesta R2.
Andrew Benson/Jonathan Desgroseilliers (Subaru WRX STI) rounded out the Top 10. Of the 28 entries at the start of Rallye Défi Petite Nation 2025, 25 were registered for ECRC competition, and 23 made it to the finish.
The Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) features eight events this season, held across Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The next round takes place in three weeks, when the Trout Rally in Nova Scotia joins the series calendar for the very first time. For more information, please visit www.ecrc-crec.ca.
