Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy founder and patron John Coyne is set to return to World Rally Championship action in Mexico next month. In doing so he will give Rally Academy co-driver Eoin Treacy his first taste of World Rally Championship action as the 1982 Irish Tarmac Rally Champion has chosen the Cork youngster as his navigator for the March 16 to 19 event.
California-based Coyne has not competed since his 2021 American Rally Association national campaign. His last WRC appearance was in Mexico in 2020, where he finished 15th with Stephen Joyce in the co-driver’s seat. Coyne considers Mexico his home WRC event and thanks to support from McKenna Motorsport in New York and the Dom Buckley RSC stable he will return there over St Patrick’s weekend in a Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Based in the country’s fifth largest city of León, 400km northwest of Mexico City, the third round of the WRC features stages that climb to the thin air and stunning scenery of the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra Guanajuato mountains. Giving Tracey the chance to broaden his skills on the world stage is two-fold. Not alone will Treacy gain valuable experience in the WRC, but he will have Ireland’s Craig Breen and James Fulton on hand to offer advice.
Although the Hyundai Motorsport World Rally Team crew are not entered Rally Mexico they will be in León to complete the recce.
“I have decided to make a return to this famously gruelling event,” said John who is based in Laguna Beach.
“Fresh from a fabulous second overall in WRC Sweden, though not competing in Mexico, Craig and James will be doing the recce there, and will be on hand to advise Eoin as he steps up to WRC level for the first time.”
Fulton is a graduate of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and won the WRC2 Junior title last year alongside Josh McErlean.
“This is Eoin’s first taste of WRC competition as part of his 2023 training and development programme,” added John.
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