Freddy Loix’s fanclub members are often present on WRC events to encourage him

On 1 May 1991 a group of dedicated friends launched what is surely one of the most unique fan clubs in the history of international rally drivers - Fanclub Freddy Loix. Originally started as a fund-raising mission for the up-and-coming Belgian driver, the club has always retained its core values of assisting in Freddy’s worldwide promotion. However, such is its dedication to the sport, the Fan Club now spends much of its time raising the profile of rallying in general and encouraging people to attend international events.

"When I first started rallying it was to do one small event", comments Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Freddy Loix. "Then after that I had no money and so a group of my friends set up the Fan Club. They organised parties and BBQs that people paid to get in to, and that’s how I was able to carry on. The Fan Club basically paid me a small amount of money enabling me to go off and do rallies.

"Those three or four friends who started it all off also came on rallies with me, doing the servicing, so they knew what was going on and why we needed the money", he continues. "If we needed new shocks or brakes, they organised another party and with that money we bought the new parts!"

Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets attend a ceremony which rewards the prizewinners of a contest

Fanclub Freddy Loix now has a loyal base of 850 members from Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Luxembourg to as far afield as Japan. Based in a rebuilt office at the garage belonging to Freddy’s father, the Fan Club offers its members:

- Eight editions of Scratch Express, a magazine dedicated to previewing the forthcoming events, with special insights from Freddy, in both Dutch and French
- Quarterly editions of Scratch Magazine, reviewing each round of the FIA World Rally Championship and Freddy’s performance, supported by one of Belgium’s top-class rally photographers, again in Dutch and French
- Escorted trips to World Rally Championship events, where members get to meet up and have drinks/dinner with Freddy and co-driver Sven Smeets
- An official internet site (www.freddyloix.com) to keep up to date with the latest news and results
- An annual Fan Day, attended by Freddy and Sven, affording members an unique opportunity to meet the men at the controls of the Mitsubishi Carisma GT
- Competitions
- ’Open-house’ at the Fan Club offices on a Wednesday evening to meet up with members and discuss forthcoming events
- Internet ’Café’ at the Fan Club offices, which remain open to coincide with the local time of a World Championship rally - even when the event is based in New Zealand!
- Freddy Loix merchandise
- Discounted admission tickets for all the major Belgian rallies
- Rally archive

Rudi Holans, one of the founders of the fanclub, with Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Freddy Loix

"There are still quite a few people involved who were there from the beginning of the Fan Club", adds Freddy. "That’s good and some of them go to nearly every round of the World Rally Championship and we meet many times, also when I’m back in Belgium".

One of the founder members, Rudi Holans, has attended no fewer than 40 World Rally Championship events with Fanclub Freddy Loix since the RAC Rally in 1991. And, between the 1993 Sanremo Rally and 1999 China Rally, Fanclub Freddy Loix members had attended every event Freddy contested!

"The most popular event is Catalunya", comments Rudi. "The accommodation is good and cheap, the weather is nice, it is very social and it is normally an event Freddy goes well on. In 1998 we took more than 100 fan club members to Lloret de Mar! Everyone was in the same hotel and the atmosphere was on a high the whole time. Portugal and Greece are also very popular and this year 50 fans went to the Acropolis Rally. Fanclub Freddy Loix has also hosted both employees and prize-winners on behalf of Marlboro Belgium, as well as travelling as far afield as Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.

Nine members of the fanclub flew to Nairobi to watch the 2000 Safari Rally

"Working with Freddy, Sven and Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe, we put together detailed plans maybe three months in advance", continues Rudi. "The members book their own flights, but the club organises the rental cars and accommodation so everyone is in the same hotel and there is a good atmosphere. For the first-timers, we prepare special maps of the stages to make it easier and then the night before the start, everyone will sit down and discuss their plans, giving hints on where the traffic jams are likely to be and the best places to go".

Since the start of the Club in 1991, the Fan Day has been one of the most popular events of the year. "In the beginning it was only a BBQ, but when Freddy and Bruno Thiry joined forces at Marlboro Opel Team Belgium, the first inter-Fan Club football tournament was born", comments Rudi. "Each year other fan clubs wanted to join in and even big manufacturers like Mitsubishi and Toyota entered teams. After the match we then have a BBQ, with live music. It is an unique opportunity for people to meet Freddy outside a rally; Freddy is available anytime you like and he does his part, not only helping with the organisation, but also in creating an exciting atmosphere".

Belgian flags are waved in the special stages to cheer Freddy Loix’s Mitsubishi Carisma GT