McErlean scores WRC points in determined Rally Estonia drive

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy kept their noses clean on the World Rally Championship’s first high-speed gravel rally of the year to take ninth overall on Rally Estonia.

The M-Sport Ford crew built up their speed over Rally Estonia's notoriously demanding stages filled with speedy crests and precise corners.

McErlean steadily found his rhythm throughout Friday’s seven stages, dialing in his Ford Puma Rally1 set-up and growing increasingly comfortable with the car's behaviour on the rapid stages.

Friday's highlight came on the Elva Linn super-special stage, where McErlean delivered a crowd-pleasing display that earned him 93 points from the drifting judges and topped the drift leaderboard in style as he ended the day in tenth overall.

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy duo maintained their composure throughout Saturday, despite the difficulties of running second on the loose-surface stages, to hold onto tenth overall.

With overnight rain adding standing water to Sunday's opening stage, McErlean and Treacy adopted a sensible strategy to navigate the changing grip levels. Their measured approach paid off as they completed another drama-free WRC weekend, climbing one position to finish ninth overall and gaining invaluable fast-gravel experience in Rally1 machinery.

In the end, McErlean was happy with his weekend, adding two points to his World Championship tally.

“It has been a nice weekend and cool to experience these roads in the Rally1 car,” the 26-year-old reflected. “It is quite surprising what the cars can do and how fast you can commit to the roads."

“You have to really shift your mind so you can be on the pace straight away, but I think we can build on that going into Finland."

“It is a proper childhood dream to go to Finland and compete at the top level of the WRC. So let’s go enjoy it and hopefully step up the pace there.”

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County Tyrone co-driver Aaron Johnston had been in the fight for a top-five finish on Rally Estonia’s blistering stages alongside Takamoto Katsuta. The Toyota Yaris Rally1 crew’s hopes of an all-out assault over Sunday’s final three stages weren’t to be, however, when a mechanical issue cropped up that would eventually force them into retirement ahead of Rally Estonia’s Power Stage.

Back on the Emerald Isle, there were two MI Rally Academy co-drivers in action on Sunday’s Sligo Stages Rally. Killian McArdle and his Ford Escort Mk2 pilot Michael Cahill were late entries to the National Rally Championship’s fifth round. The two-wheel-drive contenders made a cautious start, finishing the opening stage sixth in Class 14. A persistent performance paid off, though, as they climbed up the leaderboard to seal a Class 14 podium and 16th overall.

One place behind in the overall standings, McArdle’s academy team-mate Darragh Mullen sealed Class 2 honours alongside Oran England. England and Mullen secured an impressive start-to-finish victory on the tricky Sligo tests, their first win together aboard the Ford Fiesta Rally4.

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Another notable entrant on the Sligo Stages Rally was Junior 1000 graduate Danny Brady, who became the first driver to avail of Motorsport Ireland’s rule change that allows experienced J1000 competitors, who are 16 years of age or above, to drive a Class 2A car on asphalt and gravel rallies. As in J1000, the co-driver can step into the driver’s seat to complete road sections between each stage.

Brady, who is 17 years old, was able to complete recce for the Sligo Stages Rally thanks to his provisional driver’s license before competing on Sunday’s nine-stage event. The multiple J1000 event winner wasted no time getting up to speed aboard his Ford Fiesta R2T, catching several cars on the stages as he sealed an impressive runner-up finish in Class 2A and 50th overall.