Creighton seals maiden BRC title as McBride claims championship double

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 last year. A strong start to Saturday morning’s Welsh stages ensured they could maintain a cautious approach throughout the afternoon to finish fourth overall on the Cambrian, securing enough points to seal their first-ever British Rally Championship title.

Wins on the East Riding Stages and Grampian Forest Rally, along with a runner-up finish on the Kielder Carlisle Stages, helped their title bid despite having to miss a round halfway through the season.

The Ulster-based duo add the British title to their Junior BRC and Junior WRC crowns, joining a prestigious list of champions that includes Colin McRae, Ari Vatanen, and Hannu Mikkola.

“Saturday was amazing,” reflected Creighton. “It is very special to be able to call ourselves British Rally Champions."

“We were in a good position coming into the rally thanks to strong performances and consistent results throughout the year. We had a bit of a buffer, but we couldn’t afford to make any mistakes on the Cambrian. To get to the end is a big relief."

“Going into Junior BRC was our first move outside rallying in Ireland; never did we think that someday we would win the main championship. Thanks to everybody who got us to this position."

“We have had an amazing journey with the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy over the past few years, and they were instrumental in getting me into Junior WRC and now the British Championship. It is nice to share these titles with the academy. Obviously, there are a lot of other people behind me who have made this happen."

“Liam does so much work behind the scenes that you don't see, and Melvyn Evans Motorsport has given us a brilliant first year with the Toyota Yaris Rally2."

“The whole team has put in a big effort to make sure we hit the ground running with the Yaris. To win the title with Castrol branding on the Toyota is really special as well."

“There have been a lot of firsts for us this year in that respect, so to come away as British Champions makes all the hard work worth it.”

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Kyle McBride and Darragh Mullen delivered a thrilling finale to finish as the top Rally4 crew on the Cambrian Rally, securing both the Junior BRC and Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup titles. McBride's fourth Junior BRC win of the year and fifth victory in the Stellantis Cup came after a dramatic afternoon fightback on the Welsh gravel stages against Joseph Kelly and fellow academy athlete Killian McArdle.

With only needing to finish the rally to seal the Junior BRC title, McBride took a cautious approach on the opening loop, carrying two spare wheels, tools, and spare parts. They finished the morning loop second in Junior BRC and the Stellantis Cup, 7.1 seconds behind the similar Peugeot 208 Rally4 of Kelly and McArdle.

McBride decided on a more aggressive approach for the final loop to chase the Stellantis Cup title. A brace of fastest times moved them into the lead, eventually sealing victory by 12.6 seconds and seizing a double championship triumph.

"It hasn't really sunk in, but we are so delighted to get the win and seal the two championships," said McBride. "It couldn't have gone any better. The Cambrian was really tricky with its demanding gravel stages. We started off steadily on Saturday morning to gauge our pace. We were 7.1 seconds off the lead coming into the midday service halt, but we knew the time was there."

"We made the decision in service to go for the win, but we still had to be careful because we only needed to finish to seal the Junior BRC title. You could feel the car much lighter without the spare parts, and we dug deep to claw back our time."

"I can't thank my team enough for their part in the two titles, to all my sponsors and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy as well. Thanks to everyone who has helped. A huge thanks to Darragh for doing a super job on the pacenotes throughout the season."

"It has been an up and down year, tricky at times, but overall it has been good. We set out at the start of the year to do these two championships, and to win them both is very rewarding. Junior BRC has been a dream for me growing up. To be given the opportunity to do it was incredible, never mind to win it."

Academy co-driver Mullen was equally delighted with their championship-winning performance.

"What a way to finish the season," said Mullen. "Not only did the championship come down to the final round, but it was decided on the very last loop of stages, and what a loop it was."

"Having trailed Joe and Killian after the morning loop, we arrived back into service, hit the reset button, and set one clear target for the afternoon. We really dug deep, committed fully, and went on a huge push. Absolutely over the moon to come away with the win in both Junior BRC and the Stellantis Cup."

"It has been a year of highs and lows, but we kept our heads down, stayed focused, and our never-give-up attitude really shone through in the end. A massive credit goes to Kyle for his drive, not only over this weekend, but throughout the entire season."

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Kelly and McArdle had to settle for a runner-up finish after a strong opening loop that saw them hold a 7.1-second lead after stage four. Their challenge was hindered on stage five when they got caught in the mud and spray of a slower car ahead.

A 5.9-second stage win for McBride on the following Brenig test left Kelly and McArdle 13.5 seconds adrift, and they were unable to overturn the difference with just one stage remaining. Strong runner-up positions in both Junior BRC and the Stellantis Cup show the high standard of their performances this year.

Jack Harris and Aaron O'Regan displayed promising pace on only their second rally start outside of Ireland. Driving their Ford Fiesta Rally4, they demonstrated their potential with the fastest Rally4 time on stage four before ending the event third out of the Rally4 crews despite a spin on stage two and a puncture early in stage three.

"We had a great learning day at the Cambrian Rally," said the young Donegal pilot. "With the first stage cancelled, we started on stage two but got caught out going into a square right in the slippery conditions, had a spin, and lost a few seconds. But we were still only a few seconds shy of the fastest Rally4 time."

"Then we picked up a puncture two kilometres into the next stage and lost a lot of time. We reset for stage four and set the quickest time in the Rally4 class before heading into service. The conditions worsened on the last loop with rain and mud; the goal was just to keep a steady rhythm to try to learn how the car works in those conditions."

"We finished up third in Rally4 at the end of the day, so we can be happy with our result. Big thanks to the MI Rally Academy for giving us the chance to come over here and show our pace in Wales."

Meanwhile, Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock finished 12th overall on their Rally3 debut at Sunday's Fastnet Stages Rally. They were driving Adrian Quinn's Renault Clio Rally3 on the West Cork-based event, helping to find a set-up for Ireland's unique asphalt stages in their first event in Ireland since completing the Junior European Rally Championship.

"We really enjoyed our first taste of Rally3 machinery in Bantry," said Grogan. "It was a bit of a step up from the Rally4, but we made some good progress throughout the day, both in the driving and feeling of the car as we made some small set-up improvements. Happy to come away with 12th overall and looking forward to getting back into one in the future."

Elsewhere, academy co-driver Declan Boyle guided Ford Fiesta Rally2 pilot Matthew Boyle to his maiden podium. The Donegal duo climbed into the top five after set-up changes boosted their stage times.

Declan helped Matthew secure his first-ever stage win on the Fastnet's sixth test as they moved into podium contention. A brace of runner-up times to end the day ensured their podium finish, the MI Rally Academy co-driver's second in as many events after winning the Wexford Stages Rally in September alongside Matthew's brother Michael.

Pics by BRC Media(Spacesuit) /Black Mountain Media/JH Media/MIRallyAcademy