Tick-tock, tick-tock... The 24th edition of the Tour de Corse Historique (October 5-12) is fast approaching. It's time to unveil the list of 383 entrants.
With no WRC event on the island for five years, it is the responsibility of the Tour de Corse Historique to keep alive “the rally with 10,000 turns,” its roads, its drivers, and the cars that have made it legendary.
This heritage is showcased on a partly new 1,000-kilometer route and in a field of 383 cars representing 35 brands—both active and defunct. This year, special tribute is paid to Lancia, with a focus on its iconic Group B model, the 037, of which four examples will be gathered. Proof of the ever-growing enthusiasm for the event, it took just twelve hours on January 13th to reach the registration limit. Among the expected competitors, some are coming from afar, such as American hero John Buffum (Ford Escort RS 2000) and former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen (Porsche 911 Carrera RS).
AN ORIGINAL ROUTE
Five stages, and nearly 1,000 km to cover, including 386 timed kilometers divided into 17 special stages. Those are the key figures. But that’s not enough to sum up what awaits the 383 crews of the Tour de Corse Historique...
The 24th edition of the Tour de Corse Historique combines tradition and innovation, featuring both legendary and new special stages. The event format also includes some novelties with a separate first stage for Competition and Regularity categories. The latter are particularly highlighted this year, often starting first (stages 2, 3, and 4).
SATURDAY 5 & SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER
TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS
As tradition dictates, everything begins in the idyllic setting of the Porto-Vecchio marina, a few kilometers from the rally organization offices. The weekend is dedicated to welcoming the crews and checking the 383 cars entered.
MONDAY 7 OCTOBER
DRIVING SESSION
A non-timed 4 km special stage, set near Chera (between Porto-Vecchio and Figari), allows each crew to refine their preparations, with a maximum of three passes permitted between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. An opening evening of festivities kicks off the rally.
LEG 1 - TUESDAY 8 OCTOBER
PORTO-VECCHIO – PORTO-VECCHIO
A new feature for the 2024 edition: crews in the Regularity and Competition categories alternate on the starting podium before taking different routes to their respective special stages. The VHRS and Légende categories start with a high-altitude route, navigating winding roads through rocks, lake, and pine forest, while the VHC category follows the coast northwards before ascending the Col de Bavella (1,218 meters) via a legendary stage that ends at one of the island’s most spectacular sites.
Order: Competition and Regularity alternatly
Start: Marine du port, Porto-Vecchio
Finish: Marine du port, Porto-Vecchio
Special Stages:
SS 1 COMPETITION | Conca – Favone (8,1 km)
SS 2 COMPETITION | Kamiesch – Col de Bavella (18,8 km)
SS 1 REGULARITY | Sorbollano – Zoza (11,5 km)
SS 2 REGULARITY | Gualdaricciu – Col de Pelza (11,8 km)
LEG 2 - WEDNESDAY 9 OCTOBER
PORTO-VECCHIO – LUCCIANA
The journey northward includes two morning special stages. The longest of the rally, 42 km, passes through the villages of Tallone, Zuani, and Moita, known for their preserved religious architecture. The atmosphere changes for the lunch break, held in the postcard-like setting of Moriani-Plage with turquoise water and white sand. The final special of the day is held about thirty kilometers from Bastia, through the chestnut forests of the Castagniccia region.
Order: Regularity then Competition
Start: Marine du port, Porto-Vecchio
Regrouping: Moriani-Plage
Finish: Aéroport de Bastia Poretta
Special Stages:
SS 3 | Ventiseri – Serra di Fiumorbo (27,1 km)
SS 4 | Tallone – Pietra di Verde (41,9 km)
SS 5 | Casalta – Prunelli di Casacconi (26,0 km)
LEG 3 - THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER
LUCCIANA – CALVI
The route follows the RN 193, the backbone of the island, to the crossroads of Ponte-Leccia, the starting point for the first special stage of the day which passes through the villages of Morosaglia, Castineta and Gavignano, where the old schist houses and Romanesque-Baroque religious buildings reflect the splendours of the agro-pastoral heritage. A new special stage then leads competitors to the gates of Corte, and the next two stages bring them to the Citadel of Calvi, via a breathtaking descent through one of Balagne’s most beautiful villages, Speloncato.
Order: Regularity then Competition
Start: Aéroport de Bastia Poretta
Regrouping: Centre Culturel Prumetei, Francardo
Finish: Citadelle, Calvi
Special Stages:
SS 6 | Ponte-Leccia – Poggio Gavignano (27,9 km)
SS 7 | San Lorenzo – Tralonca (27,1 km)
SS 8 | Pietralba – Col de San Colombano
LEG 4 - FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER
CALVI – PROPRIANO
Notre-Dame-de-la-Serra, a mythical special stage featured in each of the 24 editions of the Tour de Corse Historique, immediately challenges drivers with its uninterrupted series of bends on a road clinging to ochre cliffs between sky and sea. After Porto, the second special stage of the day takes competitors to the regrouping park in Évisa – a first for this picturesque village – along the Spelunca Gorges. Next is ES 12, which crosses the intriguing almost-abandoned hamlet of Muna in the Sposata massif. After a liaison of about sixty kilometers, the final spectacular stage plunges between rocky peaks toward the calm and clear waters of the Valinco Gulf.
Order: Regularity then Competition
Start: Citadelle, Calvi
Regrouping: Évisa
Finish: Port de Propriano
Special Stages:
SS 10 | Notre-Dame-de-la-Serra – Fango (27,9 km)
SS 11 | Porto – Évisa (14,8 km)
SS 12 | Vico – Pont d’Azzana (29,3 km)
SS 13 | Col de Bellevalle – Pont de Calzola (25,2 km)
LEG 5 - SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER
PROPRIANO – PORTO-VECCHIO
Col de Siu, Col de Tana, Col de Saint-Eustache… The first three specials in the Taravo are notably mountainous. Back in the Alta Rocca, a final surprise awaits competitors: a new special stage descending from the Ospedale plateau via a broad, fast road through a pine forest, occasionally revealing views of the Porto-Vecchio Gulf. This is where finishers and winners in each category are celebrated.
Order: Competition then Regularity
Start: Port de Propriano
Finish: Marine du port, Porto-Vecchio
Special Stages:
SS 14 | Santa-Maria-Figaniella – Olmeto (23,2 km)
SS 15 | Sollacaro – Petreto-Bicchisano (16,5 km)
SS 16 | Petreto-Bicchisano – Aullène – Zérubia (27,3 km)
SS 17 | L’Ospedale – Palavese (10,3 km)
