McErlean aiming to execute asphalt learnings on unique Rally Japan stages

Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy take on the World Rally Championship’s penultimate event of the year this weekend, with Rally Japan offering a demanding set of technical asphalt stages.

McErlean returns to the land of the rising sun for his second appearance on the event, driving a Ford Puma Rally1 for the M-Sport World Rally Team. The Kilrea driver completed last year's rally in a Skoda Fabia Rally2 while challenging for a podium position in WRC2, giving him valuable knowledge of Japan's unique roads.

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crew arrives in upbeat spirits after scoring their joint-best WRC finish of seventh overall with a controlled drive on October's Central European Rally. They will be hoping to build on their growing confidence in Rally1 machinery as they tackle the unique narrow mountain roads.

"It is a really special rally for me," said McErlean. "The atmosphere is unlike anywhere else in the world, and the fans are incredible. You'll see entire families lining the streets, waving at you on road sections and even at traffic lights. That passion and enthusiasm make Japan such a memorable event for everyone involved.

"The roads in Japan are amazing but really technical. The tarmac changes a lot from one section to another, so getting tyre choice right is always a compromise. You can have damp patches in the shadows and dry roads elsewhere, so you're constantly thinking ahead.

"There is zero margin for error too, as it's often very narrow, a big contrast to Central Europe, but that's what makes it so rewarding when you get it right.

"The goal in Japan is to take everything we learned in Central Europe, about tyre management, setup, and how to trust the aero and braking performance and put it all together. Each rally, we're closing the gap, and I feel much more comfortable in the car now. It's about executing everything we've been working on.”

Meanwhile, Aaron Johnston continues his season with Toyota as Takamoto Katsuta’s trusted co-driver. The pair finished fourth on the Central European Rally and will be gunning for glory on Katsuta’s home territory.

They sit sixth in the WRC standings and will be hoping to deliver a strong result in front of the passionate Japanese fans.

Cavan co-driver James Fulton calls the pacenotes for Yuki Yamamoto on his home event. Fulton and Yamamoto gained valuable asphalt experience on the European Rally Championship’s Croatia Rally and will be looking to give their Toyota Yaris Rally2 a positive homecoming.

Rally Japan is the 13th round of the 2025 World Rally Championship and offers a demanding mix of technical and narrow stages along twisting mountain roads. Unpredictable weather and differing asphalt conditions make it a proper test for the season's final asphalt event, with crews facing constantly changing grip levels and narrow margins for error.

The event kicks off with a shakedown at 09:01 (local time) on Thursday before a super-special later that afternoon. A further 19 stages from Friday to Sunday complete the challenging 305-kilometre event.

Back in Ireland, several MI Rally Academy athletes are set to take on the Donegal Forestry Rally.

Seeded at number two, Junior WRC frontrunners Eamonn Kelly and Conor Mohan will jump up into Rally2 machinery for Kelly’s home gravel event, driving a Skoda Fabia.

In Class 2, Jack Harris and Aaron O’Regan will hope to bring their strong gravel pace from last month's Cambrian Rally across to the Donegal Forestry Rally. The Ford Fiesta Rally4 crew are seeded one car behind academy co-driver Darragh Mullen who sits beside Oran England in another Fiesta.

Last Saturday, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy members Craig Rahill, Conor Smith, Kyle McBride, and Darragh Mullen attended the Motorsport Ireland Congress in Athlone. The Junior ERC and BRC crews were interviewed by Leo Nulty, sharing experiences from their successful campaigns, and outlining how the academy has supported their progress to date.

McBride and Mullen headed straight to Sligo to showcase their title-winning Peugeot 208 Rally4 at the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship Prize Giving.