Coleman and Harris claim ERC and Moonraker victories
Casey Jay Coleman and Killian McArdle capped off an impressive weekend for Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crews with a Fiesta Rally3 Trophy victory on the European Rally Championship’s curtain raiser, the Andalucia Rally - Sierra Morena.
The Irish duo’s win came after Jack Harris and Aaron O'Regan secured a start-to-finish Class 2 victory on the Moonraker Forestry Rally while William Crieghton and Liam Regan showed strong speed on their way to a seventh overall finish in ERC.
Coleman and McArdle wasted no time to show their asphalt intentions, ending Saturday’s stages second in ERC3, 4.8 seconds behind France's Lucas Zielinski, courtesy of four top-three stage times. A controlled drive on Sunday maintained their runner-up finish in ERC3 as they claimed the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy win by 43.1 seconds.
“It was a fantastic weekend for us in Sierra Morena, to take the win in Fiesta Rally3 trophy along with 2nd place in ERC3 was a great start to our European campaign. It was a great battle all weekend with the guys in Rally3 and I think we drove sensibly to secure some great points heading into the next round in Sweden.
The pace was quite good on Saturday and we were in a close battle finishing the day in 2nd just 4.8 seconds behind leader Lucas Zielinski” - said Coleman. “On Sunday, we kept the pressure on while also trying to not make any mistakes on some very difficult stages, with a lot more cuts and high risk for punctures. Fortunately we kept our composure and made the finish with P1 in Fiesta trophy and P2 in ERC3. Everyone in the team has been working very hard so far and I’m looking forward to pushing even more as the season continues. Huge thanks to my team, my sponsors and the great support I receive from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy”
After winning the British Rally Championship last year, William Creighton and Liam Regan justified their brave step into European competition with a competitive performance aboard their Stellantis and Michelin-backed Citroen C3 Rally2. A stall at a chicane on stage two cost them some time but they quickly fought back to eighth in ERC after Saturday.
Creighton continued his impressive drive on Sunday, missing out on a maiden ERC stage win by just 0.1 seconds on stage nine, the 27-kilometre Villaviciosa test. He was denied the fastest time by eventual rally winner Jose Suarez. The ERC rookies continued to show their strong pace, setting a top-six time on the Power Stage, securing seventh place, just over a minute behind rally winner Suarez.
"It has been a strong weekend overall," said Creighton. "Seventh place might not sound spectacular on paper, but in this championship the margins are incredibly tight. When we look at our pace compared to the Spanish locals and the regular ERC crews, it has been quite competitive, which is the main positive for us. The team has done a really good job - with TRT, we only met the guys less than two weeks ago, so they've worked hard to make us feel comfortable and get us up to speed with the car. Likewise, the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and all our sponsors have put in a big effort over the off-season to get us to this point, so it’s great to reward that with a strong start to the year. Overall, it has been a very positive experience. I've really enjoyed being part of the ERC - it feels like a big family, and the atmosphere has been excellent all weekend.”
Cian Caldwell and Paul McPhillips impressed on their ERC3 debut. Consistent times backed up their runner-up time on the opening super-special to end Saturday in third, 2.9 seconds clear of fourth-placed Maximilian Lichtenegger.
In the end, the all-Academy crew claimed a top-five finish in ERC3, missing out on a runner-up finish in the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy by just 0.5 seconds.
“We had a great weekend at our first ERC event,” Caldwell commented. “We are happy with our result and the progression we made over the weekend with many positives to take away. We had some trouble on Sunday with boost problems and not getting full power but still managed to secure third in the Fiesta Trophy and fifth in ERC3. We are already looking forward to round two in Sweden next month.”
Craig Rahill and Conor Smith set the fastest Rally3 time on stage two, the first proper stage on Saturday, but lost two and a half minutes on the next stage because of a puncture. The crew began their fightback with two second-fastest times and a fastest time through the rest of Saturday before being forced to retire with mechanical trouble at the start of Sunday.
“Gutted with the outcome this weekend having to retire but we are happy with the pace,” reflected Rahill. “We know despite our misfortunes we would have been fighting at the top so that is positive and gives us confidence leading into the next tarmac rounds. We switch to gravel now and we are looking forward to getting a taste of the Rally3 on gravel and seeing where our pace is on the loose.”
At the Moonraker Forestry Rally, Jack Harris and Aaron O'Regan delivered a commanding performance to win the MIJRS Rally4 class by ten seconds over Ben McFall. The MI Rally Academy crew started the day with two stage wins to build a 6.4-second lead in their Ford Fiesta Rally4. McFall punched in a fastest time on stage three, but Harris responded again after service to secure an important victory.
"Delighted to come away with the win, we set our pace early on, picking up stage wins on all but one stage," said Harris. "We hope to really build on this momentum as the year goes on. A big thanks to McConnell Motorsport in service and Aaron on the notes for the faultless job and to all my sponsors for all their continued support. Last but not least the MI Rally Academy for their support and guidance and helping us achieve the top step again.”
Ross Ryan and James Deane finished fourth in Class 2, 7.7 seconds clear of Robert Cronin, in their Ford Fiesta Rally4.
"It was a tricky day of rallying with how rough it was, good to get to the finish and a lot of learning done with the car on gravel," said Ryan.
Academy co-drivers Darragh Mullen and Dylan Harrington finished third and sixth respectively in Class 2 while Jack Kennedy finished third in Class 2A alongside David Travers.
“The Moonraker proved to be a great day for us,” said Mullen, “and we were very happy to come away with third in class and third in two-wheel-drive. We had a strong battle with Jack and Ben throughout the day and it was great to be right in the mix from the opening stage. We’ve put a lot of work in behind the scenes since the last forestry round, so it’s really encouraging to see that starting to pay off and that our programme is heading in the right direction. Overall, good points on the board and plenty of positives to take forward from the weekend.”
Dylan Harrington gave his verdict on the gravel rally:
“We had a mixed run but we were happy with the pace over the first two stages," said Harrington. "Unfortunately a few overshoots on stage three cost us 20 seconds. With not many stages left it was hard to make any time back.”
Jack Kennedy reflected on his stint in the co-drivers’ seat:
“Stage conditions were very tough,” explained Kennedy, “but we set a goal at the start of the day of finishing in the top three which was achieved. It was my first time sitting alongside David for a rally and we spent the day working together on David’s pace in the R2T and overall we were satisfied with our result. I am looking forward to getting back into the drivers’ seat in Carlow in four weeks’ time.”
Academy patron John Coyne and co-driver Declan Boyle retired their Hyundai i20 Rally2 at the rally's halfway point, while Junior BRC champion Kyle McBride retired on the penultimate stage with driveshaft failure alongside Liam Callaghan, though it was still a successful day for McBride as he tested Hankook tyres and got familiar with his new co-driver.