In September 2022, we are going all out! To celebrate our 25th anniversary in style, we invite you to a rally event that promises to be fabulous in more ways than one! For this celebration, we have chosen the North of Portugal as our backdrop: the magnificent Douro Valley with its hillside vineyards, the Serra da Estrella mountain range with its winding roads and glacial valley, and finally two selective circuits to really enjoy the motor sport to the fullest.
Very little traffic in this sparsely populated area with a few smooth and very rolling dirt tracks. Ideal terrain for a classic rally!
Get ready to experience a whole lot of sun and good sensations…
Who says ‘party’ also says ‘bubbles’, which is why champagne will be on the house every evening after the rally for the entire duration of the trip.
For extra comfort during the 5 days of the race, we will stay twice in the same hotel for two nights: two nights at the Montebello Hotel & Resort ***** in Viseu and two nights at the Royal Douro Palace ***** in Regua.
The Sheraton ***** in Porto completes this list of highly comfortable 5-star hotels. You will be welcomed here before the start of the rally and for the last stage, which will end on a high note with a memorable prize gala with jazz band and live music.
This is just a small taste of the festivities we have in store for our 25th anniversary celebration, with many more surprises that will be revealed throughout the week, which is kind of the personal touch Seasunrally likes to bring to its events.
After the celebrations, let’s get to the heart of the matter: Robert Rorife and Pierre Barré have come up with an impressive itinerary to help you discover the most incredible landscapes of Northern Portugal. With the experience of the three previous editions from 2007, 2008 and 2016 in this region on hand, Robert Rorife has kept the best stages and the road book promises to be exceptional – both in terms of landscapes as well as driving pleasure.
The itinerary will be highly enjoyable for the navigators, however we have not forgotten about the drivers themselves who will find great pleasure in the magnificent mountains of the Serra da Estrella mountain range, the highest peaks of Portugal. For the bravest participants, there will also be an optional night race departing from Viseu. The complete route of +/- 1500 km is particularly suited to ‘Vintage’ (pre-war) cars.
Full of panache, the finale will take place on the spectacular Lousada rallycross circuit, a major venue for the European Championship rally.
New: the regularity event and RT will be presented in different forms to make you experience the rally in a more diverse, exciting way.
There will still be two categories available – Regularity and Touring – but also a new one, a third category, called the Challenger category.
1/ REGULARITY:
A specific itinerary which includes nearly 25 RTs over the course of five days of rallying with a timed stage on the Lousada circuit as the cherry on the pie.
2/ CHALLENGER (new):
The same itinerary but less intense: only one or two RTs in the morning and one in the afternoon. A more relaxed take on the week without the circuit experience but with a specific classification.
3/ TOURING:
Featuring an itinerary that is more or less the same but a little bit shorter, this category offers a 5-day touring route specifically designed to discover the most beautiful landscapes, without being timed. A mini cruise on the Douro River (depart from Regua) is also included in this exclusive programme.
5 days of rally, beautiful and welcoming 5-star hotels, traditional lunches at hand-picked unexpected venues, delicious dinners to enjoy the Portuguese gastronomy, a competent and friendly organisation team: everything you need to spend an unforgettable week of motor sport has been carefully thought of.
Of course, every anniversary also calls for presents. That is why each crew will receive a beautiful ‘PORTUGAL GRAND TOUR’ travel bag, which is already destined to become a collector’s item in the world of historic rallies.
Please note that this unique edition is limited to a maximum of 55 teams in order to guarantee the hospitality and quality of the hotels.
The first ten teams to apply will receive a magnum of champagne delivered directly to their doors for the holiday season (different delivery for the United Kingdom).
We cannot wait to see you there!
The Seasunrally Team
The program
Participants welcome in Porto – Hotel Sheraton *****
Scruteneering, dinner, Welcome briefing
Porto – Aroes – Viseu
Heading South to reach the eucalyptus forests and the old villages in Portugal.
Viseu – Covilha – Viseu
The challenging mountain stage in the Serra da Estrala mountains with breathtaking landscapes. Stop off for lunch in one of the oldest stone-built villages. Crossing of the spectacular glacial valley.
NEW ! : In the late evening after dinner, an optional short night rally mountain stage is offered to the competitors who want to enjoy the magic of night rally ambiance.
Viseu – Castro Daire – Regua
From Viseu, we heat south crossing the wonderful Douro valley, the Porto vineyards on a route which will require a lot of driving ability. There will be an unforgettable stopover in the Quinta da Pacheca wine cellars and a candlelit lunch in the middle of the impressive Porto casks.
Regua – Fafe – Regua
The high-reaching hills in the far north, the great lakes, the Atlantic coast and some quality gravel roads.
Regua – Lousada – Porto
The surprising Lousada rally cross circuit has two parallel routes each the same length alternating between concrete and mud roads, which meet in a tunnel so as spectators can enjoy the wonderful car racing sport. This will be a spectacular regularity trial (RT). Thrills guaranteed.
