Latest news with #LiamRegan
Belfast Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Tasting Nicky Grist Stages glory a major bonus for me, beams William Creighton
Creighton has made winning the UK competition his No.1 priority in the 2025 season with the help of Liam Regan, the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and Melvyn Evans Motorsport. He provisionally leads the standings after three rounds and is hoping to steal a march on his rivals at the Grampian Forest Rally on Saturday, August 8 when the series resumes after a lengthy summer break. Those hopes have been fuelled following his performance at a hot and dusty Builth Wells-based Nicky Grist Stages, which he triumphed at by less than three seconds. Creighton shaded the second Castrol MEM Rally Team Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 of team-mate Meirion Evans having run as the first car on the road across all eight special stages. Sweeping was the main factor 27-year-old Creighton had to contend with on the morning loop of stages before soaring temperatures in the afternoon made tyre wear a problem. Despite dropping over 10 seconds on the deciding speed test, former Junior World Rally champion Creighton did enough to secure a second win of the campaign with Regan. 'Saturday went really well, and the opportunity to get seat time in the car is beneficial, especially as the next round of the British Championship is on gravel and it isn't too far away,' Creighton told Belfast Telegraph Sport. 'Right now, it is very much a continuous process of learning and trying to identify how and where we can do things much better. 'It was definitely a challenging rally, the conditions with the heat were something you are more likely to experience in the hot summer European events, so it made it a challenge. 'We had to stay hydrated and focused in order to get the most out of the rally so, all in all, it was a very good day. 'I remember doing the Nicky Grist Stages back in 2017; to go back at the weekend with No.1 on the door was a privilege at an event that has iconic stages and is really well-organised. To come away with a win was a real bonus. 'I want to say a big thank you to all the team, to the Motorsport Ireland Academy and everyone who supports us. It is a real privilege to drive the Castrol MEM Toyota GR Yaris, and it was great to start the Nicky Grist Stages as car No.1 and finish as No.1.'
Belfast Telegraph
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
William Creighton knows there's no room for error at Donegal International Rally
Moira man Creighton and his Belfast co-driver Liam Regan have landed a starting place for the fourth round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris Rally2 thanks to ongoing support from sponsors and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. The pair tackled the event 12 months ago, albeit on opposite sides of the car and purely for fun, but this time around, they return expecting to challenge many of the top Rally2 seeds, including defending Champion Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), the Moffett brothers — Sam and Josh — and Jon Armstrong, who arrives fresh from a podium finish in Poland as part of his FIA European Rally Championship campaign. Added spice comes in the form of New Zealander and two-time FIA European Rally Champion Hayden Paddon, who is deputising for Matt Edwards in a C&M Motorsport-run Hyundai i20 N Rally2. 'The pace at the front of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is very strong,' said Creighton, who makes his first competitive outing as a driver on Irish soil since the West Cork Rally last March. 'There is no room for error, and it is important to find a good rhythm from the beginning of the rally — but that is what makes the Donegal Rally such a brilliant challenge. 'This is a rally that I have always wanted to contest in a Rally2 car — it is such a special event for Irish rallying, and the atmosphere is second to none. To be competing on such an iconic event, on home ground, with the support of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and in the Castrol GR Yaris really means a lot. 'I think Donegal will be a huge test, not just because of the pace of the competition, but the intensity of the rally and how much the local knowledge comes into play. I did the rally last year, but in the co-driver's seat of Liam's Skoda — this will be a world away from that. Either way, I am really looking forward to enjoying the weekend and putting on a show for the fans.' Creighton's appearance at the Letterkenny-based event is also going to serve as a useful warm-up for the next asphalt round of the Probite British Rally Championship, which the 27-year-old has made winning the priority this season. After the first three rounds, he provisionally leads the way with Castrol MEM Rally team-mate Meirion Evans. Next up in the BRC is August's Grampian Forest Stages Rally before the action switches to Rali Ceredigion in Wales. 'This is a great opportunity for me, both in terms of contesting such an iconic rally and in staying sharp during the gap in the BRC schedule,' was Creighton's assessment. 'Three days in Donegal offers very useful seat-time ahead of our next asphalt BRC round at Rali Ceredigion later in the summer. 'It is a huge boost to be back behind the wheel and to do it on Irish soil, I am grateful to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and the team for making it happen.'
