A record-breaking ten crews representing the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy are set to make their mark on the international stage at Rali Ceredigion, Wales.
This prestigious event is the seventh round of the FIA European Rally Championship, the fifth round of the Junior European Rally Championship and the British Rally Championship, and the sixth round of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup.
The excitement surrounding this event is palpable, with a huge Irish interest across all categories and classes.
Leading the Rally Academy charge are the reigning Junior World Rally Champions, William Creighton, and Liam Regan, in their M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2. As the current leaders of the British Rally Championship, Creighton and Regan are eager to secure their first win of the season.
“I’m looking forward to the event, it’s nice to have an event of this size coming close to where we’re based so I’m sure there’s going to be a great atmosphere. The rally’s aim has always been to make ERC and they’ve done that, so hats off to them,” said Creighton.
“As we are leading the championship, 99% of our focus will be on the BRC, but I think anyone who does well in BRC won’t be far off ERC pace given the level of the competition. And with two points-scoring opportunities we have to be on it on both days, which should place us well overall.”
However, they will face stiff competition from fellow Motorsport Ireland crew Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin, the winners of the recent Ulster Rally and leaders of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Cronin and Galvin are chasing a record-equalling fifth British title in their Fiesta Rally2.
Another notable entry is Jon Armstrong and Eoin Treacy, who are embarking on their first full season in a Rally2 car in the FIA European Rally Championship. The duo will be driving an M-Sport run Fiesta Rally2.
Armstrong, currently living and working in Warwickshire, is treating Ceredigion as a home event. Interestingly he has also registered for British Rally Championship points.
“It is only a three-hour drive there from home, so really looking forward to my ‘home’ round,” he said
“We found a good base to work from Barum Czech Rally and will try to bring that into the event now and push on. Should be an amazing event and looking forward to the buzz”
An intriguing interloper in the mix is Callum Devine, the defending Irish Tarmac Rally champion. Devine and his co-driver Noel O'Sullivan are returning to the FIA European Rally Championship for the first time since 2020. Devine's experience and pace will undoubtedly make him a contender for top honours. He was supported by the Motorsport Ireland Academy between 2019 and 2020.
Adding even more Irish interest to the top class is co-driver David Moynihan who is alongside Matt Edwards in another Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Junior World Rally Championship frontrunner Eamonn Kelly makes a rare European Rally Championship appearance at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta Rally3. He has the highly experienced Rory Kennedy alongside.
The Junior European Rally Championship will also witness a formidable Irish contingent at Ralli Ceredigion.
Aoife Raftery and Hannah McKillop are continuing their second season in the Hankook Tires Junior FIA European Rally Championship in their Peugeot 208 Rally4.
A class win on the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship-counting Ulster Rally has set them up nicely for a strong performance.
“Focus this week is Rali Ceredigion where we return to junior ERC,” she said.
“The Ulster rally was great preparation and we had a strong result there that we can take forward into Wales.”
It has been a busy week for the Galway-based driver, on Monday she was announced as one of 15 female drivers selected for the World Rally Championship's Beyond Rally Women's Driver Development Programme.
Jack Brennan, the 2023 Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award winner, and co-driver John McGrath are also returning to the Hankook Tires Junior FIA European Rally Championship after spending the summer contesting Irish events.
Their last outing at this level was the Rally Islas Canarias in May, and they will be keen to display their potential to the European regulars.
Brennan won the Carrick-on-Suir Rallysprint on Sunday so he will go to Wales full of confidence given that he won the Rally5 Class on the event last season.
“It was a super event last year for us so hopefully we will have just as good an event again. We know the rally from last year so our knowledge of the event, road surface and conditions is definitely very high,” said Brennan.
Kyle McBride and Darragh Mullen, currently third in the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup and second in the Junior British Rally Championship, are another Irish duo to watch. They have also registered for FIA European Rally Championship in the Rally4 class.
McBride can draw on his experience from the 2023 Ralli Ceredigion event. They have made the switch to an Opel Corsa Rally4 for the event.
“It's slightly different to the Peugeot. Most of the car is identical but there's a few small things that are different so it will take a little bit of time to adapt,” he said.
Adding to the Irish representation is the talented pair of Ryan MacHugh and Arthur Kierans, the recently crowned Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Rally4 class champions.
This will be another significant international test for the pair, who have already demonstrated their exceptional pace on Irish and Scottish rallies this season.
A two-pass recce will be a new experience for MacHugh but Kierans has plenty of ERC events under his belt.
“It's going to be a big challenge and a real new adventure for myself. Arthur has a done ERC events before so I feel that's going to be A big help to me” he said.
Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock, the current leaders of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup, are another Irish crew with high hopes.
The Peugeot 208 Rally4 crew head to Wales on the crest of a wave, having scored their maiden win on the Grampian Rally in Scotland a few weeks ago.
“The level of competition will be the highest of the year so far so it will be interesting to see where we stand against the Junior ERC regulars,” said Grogan.
“We will definitely be focusing on our own battles, particularly the Stellantis Cup which we continue to lead.”
Cian Caldwell and Liam Egan will take their Ford Fiesta Rally4 overseas for the first time, while Craig Rahill, partnered with Conor Smith in a Ford Fiesta Rally4, is another promising Irish driver making his British and European Rally Championship debut.
Caldwell is particularly looking forward to the 26km Rhandirmwyn stage.
“This will be the longest stage to date for me so it will be important to keep the concentration levels up,” he said.
Rahill, the current leader of the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series(MIJRS), has decided to forgo the Galway Summer Rally in order to focus on this prestigious international event.
With his previous experience competing in the Rali Terras d'Aboboreira in Portugal on gravel, Rahill is well-prepared to tackle the challenging Welsh stages.
“A big event like this requires a lot of preparation and it will be a real test of stamina, as it’s our first tarmac event abroad and we have a lot to learn,” he said.
Other Irish drivers to watch include Callum Graffin. Although not a Rally Academy member, he and his co-driver Mark McGeehan are frontrunners in both the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup and the Junior British Rally Championship in their 208 Rally4.
There are also two Irish co-drivers involved in the National rally that runs alongside the main international event. Richard Crozier is on pacenote duty for William Hill in a Ford Fiesta Rally3, while London-based Kerry man Shane Buckley will partner recently crowned Irish Tarmac historic rally champion and local man Tomas Davies in a Ford Escort Mk2.
Watch:
Ojibwe Forests Rally
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy founder and patron John Coyne, along with co-driver Eoin Treacy, took on the gruelling Ojibwe Forests Rally in the United States over the weekend.
This sixth round of the 2024 American Rally Association National Championship is known for its unforgiving terrain, with stages becoming heavily rutted throughout the event. Stretching over 145 miles, the Ojibwe Forests Rally is also one of the longest on the championship calendar.
They piloted their PCRS Rallysport-run Hyundai i20 Rally2 through the challenging stages, to finish fourth overall and win the RC2 class.
Watch:
Text By Sean Moriarty / Pics by Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy
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