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Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Josh McErlean outlines the keys to success as he braces to tackle Rally Finland challenge
After the opening seven rounds of the campaign – which McErlean is contesting with new co-driver Eoin Treacy – he is currently 12th in the overall standings on 14 points. McErlean's programme continues at Rally Finland where he is set to make his fourth appearance at the fastest WRC fixture and his first as a works-backed entrant. There is the expectation that the 26-year-old can build on his Rally Estonia performance from earlier in July; a mature approach rewarded with a third top-10 result of 2025. It was also the second time the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy Member outshone his more experienced driving mate Gregoire Munster since he kicked things off in January. Estonia's smooth, fast-flowing roads bear a close resemblance to Finland's, and having successfully overcome that challenge, McErlean is confident he can continue to improve. 'This is all part of the learning process, and Estonia gave us exactly what we needed – a clean rally, strong pace progression and something to build from,' he said. 'Now, for me, it is all about fine-tuning, pushing where we can and keeping that upward curve going. 'Finland is an event I have been looking forward to ever since we got the opportunity to compete at Rally1 level; it's a special feeling to be taking on Finland's roads in such a car. 'This weekend is about taking a step forward, trusting in ourselves, committing to the pace notes and starting to bring everything we have learnt together. The key will be confidence and rhythm. I'm ready to enjoy every moment of the ride through the forests.' Someone else who is expecting big things of McErlean, as well as Munster and the third Puma Rally1 of Martins Sesks, is M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal Rich Millener. 'Rally Finland is a legendary event, and while it is always a huge challenge, it's also a truly incredible opportunity for our young lineup to shine,' he said. 'Gregoire, Josh and Martins have all been consistently learning throughout the season, and Finland will test every aspect of their driving.' Rally Finland offers 190 miles of competitive action from Thursday onwards, with Saturday the longest leg of the event before crews turn their focus to Sunday's 'Ouninpohja' stage. As part of its refreshed itinerary for 2025, organisers have introduced various new speed tests, including 'Parkkola', 'Leustu', 'Paijala' and 'Vastila'.
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.'
Belfast Telegraph
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Opening the road at Rally Sardinia was ‘proper punishment' after mishap, admits Josh McErlean
McErlean ran wide during the 'Telti-Calangianus-Berchidda' test, causing significant damage to the left-rear corner of his Puma Rally1 including its damper and driveshaft. Incredibly, all three Puma cars came a cropper on the 11.5-mile stretch of road – Martins Sesks walked away from a roll, while Gregoire Munster suffered a similar fate to McErlean. M-Sport mechanics worked wonders to fix the Kilrea man's machine on Friday and have it ready for the following day, but the trade-off for rejoining under the 'Super Rally' rule meant the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member had to run first with co-driver Eoin Treacy. With more than six minutes of time penalties applied, adding to his points total on the sun-drenched island was always going to be a tall order. Instead, the 25-year-old used the seat time as an extended test for the Acropolis Rally on June 26-29. 'Running first on the road Saturday and Sunday following the mistake on Friday is proper punishment – I don't think anyone needs to shout at me, I fully understand why you can't make mistakes,' admitted McErlean. 'It was my first time running first on the road and opening a rally – any type of rally – so I have learned a lot from that, even on the Sunday when, second time over the stages, there were more ruts and surface changes. We can take some things forward into Greece. 'It was definitely a nasty rally. It was a shame because, I think on the Friday, we had the pace to have a strong day, but it was my mistake on the second stage, running wide and hitting the tree and taking the rear-left wheel off it. 'This weekend shows you that you need to have a good start to these rallies, especially if you are running further down the field. We knew that Sardinia would be a tough rally but, in actual fact, it turned out to be brutal.' Rally Sardinia was awash with drama that continued up until the closing Power Stage when an overshoot for leader and eventual winner Sebastien Ogier (Toyota Gazoo Racing) slashed his buffer over runner-up Ott Tanak (Hyundai Motorsport). The Frenchman held on to make it two victories on the bounce following his success at May's Rally de Portugal.
RTÉ News
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Josh McErlean relishing Sardinian WRC test
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean is in action at the Rally Italia Sardegna this weekend for round six of the World Rally Championship and determined to continue his upward trajectory behind the wheel of his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1. McErlean, who was a WRC2 driver, was a surprise choice to compete for the full M-Sport Ford World Rally Team this year. His chance though came when Frenchman Adrian Formaux quit the M-Sport team to move to Hyundai this season and the British team decided to go with a younger, less experienced three-driver line-up, which included Derryman McErlean. So far the Irish driver has been in the points, his best result a fine seventh place in the opening Monte Carlo Rally, while McErlean finished eighth in the last round in Portugal. The 25-year-old driver from Kilrea was M-Sport's top points scorer during the weekend in Portugal. That momentum will be key on the Italian island's punishing stages, which includes Micky's Jump as part of the Lerno–Su Filigosu stage, one of the most famous jumps in world rallying. Last year's event saw the the joint-closest WRC finish in history, when Ott Tanak beat Sebastien Ogier to victory by two-tenths of a second. The event is held on narrow gravel tracks, which cut through mountainous forests, pushing drivers and machinery to the limit. Sardinia's abrasive gravel also gives it one of the highest tyre-wear rates in the whole season. "Sardinia is one of the toughest rallies on the calendar, no question," said McErlean, who went on to finish fourth fastest in the shakedown. "There's no room for error here – it's narrow, rough, and can catch you out at any second. "But after the positive result in Portugal, I feel we're progressing in the right direction. "We're learning more about the Puma on gravel with every kilometre, and this weekend will be another big step for us." The event opens with a ceremonial start in Olbia before two loops on Friday through Gallura's gritty, technical stages. Saturday will provide the ultimate test, featuring the infamous Lerno–Su Filigosu test. Sunday's action rounds off with a mix of returning classics and a new power stage on the coast at Porto San Paolo. "You have to learn to love this rally, you can't fight it, or it will bite you back", added McErlean. "It's a real test for both car and crew, and that's exactly what makes it so rewarding. We had a positive run in Portugal, and the goal is to carry that rhythm into this weekend." Meanwhile, two days of motor racing action lie ahead for race fans at Mondello Park this weekend as the second round of the ICCR series approaches. The Siltex Safety Zetec Fiestas once again have the largest grids and with a win apiece so far in 2025, Sean McGovern and Alan Dawson will be keen to take the top step of the podium once again. Formula Ford returns to the Kildare venue ahead of the Historic Festival in August and despite a relatively small entry list, all the big FF1600 names are there. Jason Smyth and Morgan Quinn are looking forward to a return to Irish tarmac and, having taken plenty of wins between them across the water, won't be here to make up numbers. Stephen O'Connor is fast, if a touch erratic, but could spring a surprise against the younger opposition if the planets align. BOSS Ireland is back at Mondello too, and all eyes will be on Limerick's Paul Having done most of his racing abroad recently, he brings his 590bhp Dallara World Series to Mondello Park. He was have to tackle the nimble F3 cars of reigning champion Tony Greenan and Noel Robinson. It's a battle of the V8s in the HRCA Historics as Jackie Cochrane's 5.0 Sunbeam Tiger fights off the similarly powered Ginetta G10 of son-in-law Gareth Thompson.
