It is in Belgium's Westhoek region that the Intercontinental Rally Challenge competitors will meet again this week in order to contest the fifth round of the 2009 season. Rally Ypres will also serve as the 2009 championship's first tarmac event.

The field of entrants on the IRC's Belgian round is a high-quality one indeed for this quite popular event: along with the IRC regulars, drivers from the European championship will be taking part in addition to many national competitors signing on as well.

The Skoda team has decided to enter this famous rally with a pair of Fabia S2000s, those of Juho Hanninen and Jan Kopecky. The Czech manufacturer will also be counting on François Duval, one of Belgium's best rally representatives.

The Abarth clan will appear with Giandomenico Basso at the controls of his Grande Punto, however the sister car has been trusted to Bernd Casier instead of Anton Alen, the team having opted for the Belgian driver's knowledge of the territory.

Korean constructor Proton has entered its Satria Neo S2000 for an IRC debut with Guy Wilks at the wheel. The aim is to gather knowledge and data as development work on the car continues.

Volkswagen will also be on hand with a Rene Georges Team-prepared Polo Super 2000 for Patrick Snijers. Alexandre Bengue will be handling an Opel Corsa S2000.

However - as expected – the most impressive armada comes from French manufacturer Peugeot as Kronos Racing has entered no less than five 207 S2000s. Three will bear the colours of the Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg Team: one for reigning IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz, another for last year's Ypres winner Freddy Loix, and a third for Pieter Tsjoen on his IRC comeback.

The fourth 207 goes to Peugeot UK driver and IRC drivers' championship leader Kris Meeke. The fifth car is the BFGoodrich Drivers Team entry, with Thierry Neuville selected as the invited driver on this round.

However Peugeot may also count on the current leader of the European Championship since Michal Solowow heads to Belgium along with a trio of pursuers behind the Pole: Bulgarian driver Krum Donchev, and Italian countrymen Corrado Fontana and Luca Betti. Swiss driver Brian Lavio is also participating in the European Championship aboard a Peugeot 207 Super 2000; Belgian Gilles Schammel as well.

Mitsubishi cars appear on the entry list thanks to Dutchman Jasper Van Der heuvel, Austrian Franz Wittman and Belgian Melissa Debackere. Subaru will be fielding the Imprezas of Dominique Bruyneel and Paul Lietaer.

Rally Ypres – Entry list:

1  HANNINEN Juho-MARKKULA Mikko         Skoda Fabia S2000    N4
2  DUVAL François-GIRAUDET Denis        Skoda Fabia S2000    N4
3  BASSO Giandomenico-DOTTA Mitia       Grande Punto S2000   N4
4  SOLOWOW Michal-BARAN Maciek          Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
5  VAN DEN HEUVEL Jasper-KOLMAN Martine Mitsubishi Lance     N4
6  MEEKE Kris-NAGLE Paul                Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
7  WILKS Guy-PUGH Phil                  Proton Satria S2000  N4
8  LOIX Freddy-MICLOTTE Frederic        Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
9  SNIJERS Patrick-COKELAERE Cindy      VW Polo S2000        N4
10 CASIER Bernd-CAESEMAEKER Francis     Grande Punto S2000   N4
11 DONCHEV Krum-YORDANOV Petar          Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
12 VOUILLOZ Nicolas-KLINGER Nicolas     Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
14 KOPECKY Jan-STARY Petr               Skoda Fabia S2000    N4
15 FONTANA Corrado-CASSINA Carlo        Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
16 TSJOEN Pieter-CHEVAILLIER Eddy       Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
17 BETTI Luca-X                         Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
18 BENGUE Alexandre-X                   Opel Corsa S2000     N4
19 WITTMANN Franz-ETTEL Bernhard        Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
20 NEUVILLE Thierry-MARAITE Achim       Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
21 LAVIO Brian-PARODI Luca              Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
22 SCHAMMEL Gilles-JAMOUL Renaud        Peugeot 207 S2000    N4
23 DEBACKERE Melissa-BRISSART Bruno     Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
24 TLUSTAK Antonin-SKALOUD Jan          Citroen C2 S1600     A6
25 BRUYNEEL Dominique-VIAENE Steve      Subaru Impreza       N4
26 LHONNAY Stephane-BOTSON Kris         Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
27 ROMAIN Alexandre-GILSOUL Nicolas     Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
28 BONJEAN David-LIBERT Philippe        Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
29 MILLET Denis-VIAL Julien             Peugeot 207 RC       A7
30 PIEPERS Marcel-DE WILD Erik          Honda Civic Type R   A7
31 TANGHE Claudie-SQUEDIN Denis         Citroen C2 R2 Max    A6
32 BURTON Caren-LOUETTE Michael         Citroen C2 R2 Max    A6
33 BAUGNET Xavier-SIMONS Damien         Citroen C2 R2 Max    A6
34 LEFEVERE Andy-BEERNAERT Nico         Citroen C2 R2 Max    A6
35 PYCK Filip-LAMPAERT Ignace           Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
36 NIJS Phil-RAMBOER Steven             Subaru Impreza       N4
37 DELBEKE Nick-BREYNE Jeannick         Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
38 BOON Matthias-SONCK Daniel           Ford Fiesta ST       N3
39 COURTEYN Stevy-X                     Ford Fiesta ST       N3
40 DE CECCO Cedric-BeATSE Hendrik       Ford Fiesta ST       N3
41 VAN PERRE Johan-VAN KEER Franck      Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
42 VAN IERSEL Martin-VAN DEN EINDE F.   Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
43 DECLERCQ Piet-LYSY Heikki            Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
44 COENE Bert-THORES Werner             Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
45 HEUNINCK Victorien-DECLERCK Kurt     Citroen C2 R2        A6
46 LACANTE Benoit-SPOELSTRA Marieke     Citroen C2 R2        A6
47 DUQUESNE Didier-PATTYN Diederik      Citroen C2 R2        A6
48 GABAN Andy-SMETS Isidoor             Citroen C2 R2        A6
49 JONES Tim-JONES Steve                Ford Fiesta S1600    A6
50 HERMANS Jos-BARBEZ Robin             Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
51 HOENDERVANGERS Han-GROOTEN Geert     Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
52 BANKS Richard-O'CONNOR Chris         Subaru Impreza       N4
53 MOREE Erik-MEIJS Pascal              Mitsubishi Lancer    N4
54 VLAEMINCK Wim-WATTEEUW Geert         Citroen C2 R2        A6
55 DEFAYS Geoffroy-LANNOY Hansy         Citroen C2 R2        A6
56 LASZLÓ Vizin-GABOR Zsiros            Honda Civic Type R   A7
57 GUICHOT DE FORTIS Chris-CHAVASSE P.  Fiat Stilo           A7
58 VERMEEREN Vincent-FONTEYNE Johnny    Citroen Saxo         A6
59 PERRARD Frederic-LECLERCQ Francis    Renault Clio         N3
60 POISSON Jean Marc-LESIGNE Olivier    Honda Civic          N3
61 SCHRODER FRANK-X                     Opel Astra           N3
62 RUYSSEN Bart-VERFAILLIE Gregory      Ford Fiesta ST       N3
63 BERVILLE Frederic-LEMAHIEU Pieter    Ford Fiesta ST       N3
64 PRIEM Nikias-WYDAEGHE Jeroen         Ford Fiesta ST       N3
65 VENANT Raphael-GARY Laurent          Ford Fiesta ST       N3
66 MAERTENS Philippe-CALSIUS Hans       Ford Fiesta ST       N3
67 VERBEKE Dieter-CLAEYS Bjorn          Peugeot 206 RC       N3
68 BERTIER Geert-HULLAK Sofie           Citroen C2           A6
69 PERRARD Gregory-DAGHELET Bertrand    Renault Clio         N3
70 VERCRUYSSE Luc-SPRIET Davy           Renault Clio         N3
71 BRAAT Martijn-GILLIS Jac             Honda Civic          N3
72 VANDEPUTTE Patrick-DEKLERCK Stefaan  Honda Civic          N2
73 BRONKART Renaud-FRANCE Jacques       Nissan Micra         N1