Armstrong and McErlean both finish inside Rally Sweden’s top ten

Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne secured eighth overall on Rally Sweden, with Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy close behind in ninth as both Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crews scored valuable World Rally Championship points on the high-speed snow stages around Umeå.

Armstrong and Byrne delivered a strong performance to finish 19.6 seconds behind 2024 World Rally Champion Thierry Neuville. The M-Sport Ford crew had a challenging start to the rally after an overshoot on stage one cost them around 45 seconds. Two punctures on Friday interrupted what was otherwise an impressive display, highlighted by a fastest split time on stage seven.

A set-up change halfway through Saturday improved their feeling with the car, and Armstrong went on to set a sixth-fastest time on stage 13 and a top-five time on the Umeå Sprint test. Further competitive times on Sunday guaranteed their eighth-place finish.

"It was a really good rally overall," reflected Armstrong. "Obviously, it didn't start perfectly – on the first stage we missed a braking point and went into a ditch. The front of the car filled with snow, which blocked the air intake, so we lost power and dropped around 45 seconds. That was really frustrating but we bounced back well and had a strong Friday.

"From then on, the focus was on having a good rally and seeing how close we could get to the front-running pace. On some stages we were really close – down to around 0.4 seconds per kilometre or less. Considering our road position, the cleaning effect, and the fact it's only our second Rally1 event, there were some very encouraging stage times.”

 McErlean and Treacy reignited their 2026 World Rally Championship campaign with a hard-fought ninth-place finish, securing their first points of the season.

The M-Sport Ford crew made a positive start on Thursday evening, setting the eighth-fastest time despite less favourable road conditions. Friday presented a significant challenge after two flat rear tyres on stage three, but Saturday marked a clear step forward with McErlean delivering one of the standout moments of his weekend with the fifth-fastest time on the first pass of Sarsjöliden.

A clean run through Sunday's final three stages ensured McErlean brought the car home safely, banking valuable championship points. He matched team-mate Armstrong's Power Stage time on his way to finishing ninth overall.

"It's obviously very nice to get to the finish. It's been a while, and to build the confidence, especially after Monte, one of the most difficult weekends of my life, means a lot," said McErlean. "Saturday, especially, was a good step for us, and the pace was coming more naturally again. It felt very special to finally get that feeling back with the car. There is still work to do, but we're on the way up now.”

Craig Rahill and Conor Smith’s Junior WRC debut was compromised by an issue before the opening stage, forcing them into super-rally regulations.

The 2024 Billy Coleman Award winner upped his speed on Saturday, setting several top-five times including a third-fastest Junior WRC time on stage 12. Rahill started Sunday with a fifth-fastest Junior WRC time before retiring on Sweden's penultimate test after catching a snow bank.

"Not the result we wanted here in Sweden, unfortunately got caught out on the penultimate stage and caught a snow bank," reflected Rahill. "We are quite happy with our progress throughout the weekend, though. We bedded ourselves in at the start and improved our pace stage by stage. Overall we achieved good mileage and gained plenty of experience and knowledge that we can carry forward when we come back here next year.”

 Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston claimed a runner-up finish on Rally Sweden alongside Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta. The pair had led the rally on Friday night before ultimately securing second overall with several top times and third on the Power Stage.

Back in Ireland, Jack Harris and Aaron O'Regan started their season off well with a runner-up finish in Class 2 on the Yeats Ridge Forestry Rally. They showed their pace from the very start, setting a fastest time on the opening Knockroe test in their Ford Fiesta Rally4.

"We had a really positive day today in Sligo finishing second in class and third in two-wheel-drive," said Harris. "Our aim for the event was to get back on the pace of the front runners after an accident at the end of last year. A big thanks to the MI Rally Academy and all my sponsors for making it happen."

Ross Ryan and James Deane finished sixth in Class 2 on their Ford Fiesta Rally4 debut.

"Tricky conditions all day, I struggled to get to grips with the car," said Ryan. "We made some changes to the car in service and it seemed to have made a difference but still not enough to be on the pace."

Academy co-drivers completed a strong showing in Rally4, with Dylan Harrington finishing third alongside Jack Byrne and Darragh Mullen fourth with Oran England.

Pictures provided by M-Sport, James Burke & MI Rally Academy