Available now, the latest episode of the official WRC podcast From eSports WRC world champion to preparing for a Rallye Monte-Carlo debut in a Rally1 car, Jon Armstrong’s journey to the elite level of rallying is one of boyhood dreams, as well as example of incredible perseverance as the Irishman worked his way up the rallying pyramid. Hear his incredible story, in his own words, as told to Becs Williams in the first edition of WRC Backstories for 2026. Listen at Spotify List

James McShea will embark on an incredible 2026 with the support of the Craig Breen Foundation, following his victory in the 2025 Irish Forest Rally Championship J1000 class. As part of his prize, the Donegal teenager is joining runner-up Kyle Drury at the legendary John Haugland Winter Rally School in Norway, a frozen-lake training ground that has shaped some of the biggest names in rallying. John Haughland McShea (Left) & Drury (Right) Over two days, the pair will refine car

Krunching Gears - The Rally Podcast, 2025 Season, episode 52... 'A special episode this week as M-Sport confirms its driver line-up for the 2026 World Rally Championship. Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy return to the team following a breakthrough season, underlining M-Sport’s confidence in one of the championship’s most promising partnerships. We also look ahead to an exciting new chapter as Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne step up to contest all 14 rounds of the WRC with the M-Sp

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crew Craig Rahill and Conor Smith will step up to the World Rally Championship's Junior WRC series in 2026, marking the next stage in their rally career. Rahill - Left / Smith - Right The duo will drive an M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 in the five-round competition starting on February's Rally Sweden. Smith - Left / Kathleen Kennedy (Rally Academy) - Middle / Rahill - Right 22-year-old Rahill took on the Junior European Rally Championship

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is pleased to announce an expanded collaboration with the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy in 2026.  Academy crew Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy will return to the Ford Puma Rally1 car for the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship, with Rally1 newbies Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne joiningthe full season line-up. McErlean and Treacy will be joined by their new Academy teammates Armstrong and Shane Byrne on the start ramp at Rallye Monte-Carlo next mont

Six of Ireland’s most exciting young rally drivers were shortlisted for this year’s Billy Coleman Award: Cian Caldwell, Casey Jay Coleman, Jack Kennedy, Joe Kelly, Kyle McBride, and Ross Ryan. From this talented group, three finalists have now been selected—Cian Caldwell, Casey Jay Coleman, and Kyle McBride—following a full day of interviews at the Motorsport Ireland offices, where a five-person judging panel met with each nominee to assess their potential and performance. Th

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy finished ninth overall on the final round of the 2025 World Rally Championship, capping their maiden Rally1 season with a top-ten finish despite challenging circumstances on Rally Saudi Arabia's inaugural event. A puncture on the rally's second stage, Al Fasallyah, cost them a better result after they lost over two minutes while stopping to change the wheel. The Ford Puma Rally1 crew bounced back to set several competitive times on Thursday, incl

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy complete their maiden Rally1 season on the World Rally Championship's final round, Rally Saudi Arabia, marking another significant first in what has been an important year of development for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy duo. The crew take on their first event in the Middle East, renowned for unique sandy stages that will challenge WRC’s best. McErlean will be focused on gaining as much experience as possible while enjoying the fact that i

Eamonn Kelly and Conor Mohan enjoyed a perfect homecoming after an intense Junior WRC season. The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crew clinched the Irish Forest Rally Championship event by a huge 31.1 seconds on their Skoda Fabia Rally2 debut - their first overall win in Ireland. Kelly's last Rally2 outing was two years ago on the Donegal Harvest Rally where he finished second, making this victory all the more special. Three stage wins on the first three stages allowed Kelly

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy take on the World Rally Championship’s penultimate event of the year this weekend, with Rally Japan offering a demanding set of technical asphalt stages. McErlean returns to the land of the rising sun for his second appearance on the event, driving a Ford Puma Rally1 for the M-Sport World Rally Team. The Kilrea driver completed last year's rally in a Skoda Fabia Rally2 while challenging for a podium position in WRC2, giving him valuable knowledge

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crews delivered outstanding performances this weekend, with William Creighton and Liam Regan claiming their first British Rally Championship title on the Cambrian Rally while Kyle McBride and Darragh Mullen secured a dramatic double championship triumph in Junior BRC and the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup. The Toyota Yaris Rally2 crew of Creighton and Regan produced a well-controlled drive to go one better than their runner-up BRC finish from

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy’s William Creighton and Liam Regan head to Saturday's Cambrian Rally targeting their maiden British Rally Championship title. Meanwhile, in Rally4, Kyle McBride, Darragh Mullen, and Killian McArdle complete their year-long intra-academy battle for Junior BRC and Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup honours. Creighton arrives as the Cambrian Rally’s top seed after finishing second on last year's event. The Toyota Yaris Rally2 crew hold a healthy

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy's Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy worked hard to secure their joint-best World Rally Championship result this weekend. The M-Sport Ford crew finished seventh overall on the Central European Rally. McErlean's third asphalt event since graduating to Rally1 machinery proved to be another valuable weekend of gaining experience. The four-day rally was hosted by three countries: Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic, with tricky asphalt stages

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy return to asphalt for the World Rally Championship’s first sealed surface event since April's Canary Islands Rally. The MI Rally Academy crew will be keen to have a strong weekend as the series returns to the mixed-condition roads of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. McErlean has been getting to grips with the Ford Puma Rally1 over the past few months on new events like Rally Paraguay and Rally Chile. Now, he returns to a more familar sur

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy’s Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne produced a masterclass on the Croatia Rally’s European Rally...

Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne head to Croatia's final round of the European Rally Championship third in the standings and with a chance...

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy’s Jack Harris and Aaron O’Regan showcased a fantastic display of rallying to claim a 0.8-second...

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy endured a challenging Rally Chile, showing resilience to gain as much experience as possible on the World...

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy will take on their eleventh World Rally Championship event of the year on this week's Rally Chile. Renowned...

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crews delivered outstanding performances this weekend, highlighted by Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne’s...