Rahill and Smith seal maiden Junior ERC podium in Rome
Craig Rahill and Conor Smith stormed to their best Junior European Rally Championship result to date on a hot-paced Rally di Roma Capitale.
The 2024 Billy Coleman Award winner’s well-deserved third-place finish is the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy’s first Junior ERC podium, going one place better than their round one Rally Sierra Morena result.
A second- and third-fastest time on Rally di Roma’s opening two stages immediately put the Cavan-based competitors in contention. They consistently set top five times as Saturday progressed before a runner-up finish on Saturday’s penultimate 34.6-kilometre Torre di Cicerone test moved them into third.
Rahill maintained his pace through Sunday’s six stages, entering Rally di Roma’s Power Stage 3.4 seconds behind second-placed Jaspar Vaher and 2.1 seconds ahead of Ioan Lloyd.
The trio’s intense competition resulted in 1.8 seconds separating their times on Rome’s 30.6-kilometre penultimate stage. Rahill utilised his asphalt rally driving abilities to set the third-fastest time on Rally di Roma’s Power Stage, sealing his Junior ERC podium finish, 3.1 seconds behind second.
Their strong Power Stage performance added to a strong haul of Junior ERC points, 21 in total, which moved them into sixth with two rounds to go.
“We are absolutely over the moon with how this rally has gone,” Rahill reflected. “It was definitely one of the toughest events I have ever done with the heat and the long demanding stages.
“The pace was crazy all weekend and the times were so close. We had a great battle with Jasper and Ioan right to the very last stage, it is mad to think that after 207 kilometres of stages only four seconds separated the three of us.
“We got into a really good rhythm on the big 34.6-kilometre sixth stage. That gave us a good jump on the lads and we tried to maintain that throughout Sunday which wasn’t easy at all as they were pushing hard behind.
“To get my first Junior ERC podium is really special and definitely one I will cherish for a long time.”
Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock made it two MI Rally Academy finishers in Junior ERC aboard their Peugeot 208 Rally4.
Grogan adjusted to Rome’s challenging asphalt stages throughout Saturday’s six stages, before upping his pace on Sunday. The 24-year-old set a top-three time on Sunday’s opener, managing brake and tyre temperatures in the hot Central Italy event.
The academy duo climbed up to eighth in Junior ERC, matching their best result in the series so far.
“I am glad to make the finish of an extremely demanding Rally di Roma,” Grogan commented. “We knew the event would be tough with the high temperatures but it’s hard to tell until you actually do it.
“Things never really clicked for us on Saturday and while Sunday was a bit better, we were too far back to pick up any positions.
“Overall, though, it was a massive experience and we have learned so much. Big thanks to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy for their support in competing in these rallies and also to everyone else who helps us get there.”
Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne fought through a super competitive Rally2 leaderboard to seal eight crucial ERC points from Rally di Roma’s unique asphalt event.
The Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew moved up from 16th to an eventual 11th-place finish by the end of the 13-stage rally.
Two top-three times on the Jenne-Monastero stage, the second of which banked him extra Power Stage points, were vital in Armstrong’s final day progress as he got accustomed to Rome’s fast, twisty stages.
Armstrong remains sixth in the ERC standings, although moved closer to the top four which is now only six points away.
“Rally di Roma was a tricky event to get the whole package working the way it normally does,” admitted Armstrong. “We made some good improvements through the rally but ultimately we couldn’t find a good flow through the long, twisting corners, which cost us vital time on what was a really close leaderboard.
“Getting third on the Power Stage was a positive way to end the event and is a good sign that we have the pace when the conditions allow. That’s our first Power Stage points on asphalt, backing up the strong Power Stage points picked up in Hungary, Sweden, and Poland.
“We have shown good pace on all of the other events this year, so it is difficult to see that drop back a bit here, but I know we can jump back in Barum, Ceredigion, and Croatia.”
Killian McArdle secured his first ERC3 podium of the season, finishing third alongside Casey Jay Coleman in the Rally3 class.
The Ford Fiesta duo started Sunday in fourth but quickly moved into third and ended the event with two impressive fourth-fastest times. The result also sealed a runner-up finish in the M-Sport Fiesta Rally3 Trophy which puts them fifth in the overall standings.
“We are very happy to come away with a podium in ERC3 this weekend,” said McArdle. “The stages in Rome were very technical and demanding on both car and crew, with the heat.
“From a co-driver’s side, the technical nature of the stages meant you rarely got a break. We kept our noses clean all weekend and put in good times to build our pace all weekend. We are really happy to come away with some silverware.”
Fellow Mi Rally Academy co-driver Darragh Mullen was in action on Sunday’s Ravens Rock Rally. Navigating for Ford Fiesta Rally4 pilot Oran England, the duo finished third in the 13-car Class 2. It was mission complete for Mullen on England’s second event using their own pacenotes.
“Overall, it was a good weekend,” Mullen said. “Oran and I had a good recce on Saturday and we were pretty happy with how it went.
“We had a few teething issues Sunday morning with the set-up and brake fade. Thankfully Tom Gahan and his team got it sorted so we could go back out and fight with the class leaders.
“It was great to be in the mix with Jack Brennan and Cian Caldwell all day, coming home with third in class. It was a great result considering Oran is new to writing pacenotes. He drove brilliantly all day.”