Triple rally weekend - academy crews tackle ERC, ITRC, and national rallies

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crews will compete across three major rallies this weekend, with championship battles intensifying on the European Rally Championship's Barum Czech Rally Zlin, the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship's Ulster Rally, and the National Rally Championship's ALMC Hellfire Stages Rally.

Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne head to the Czech Republic, seeded at number four in their Ford Fiesta Rally2 for the sixth round of the eight-round ERC series. The Fermanagh native has demonstrated searing asphalt speed this season, along with a season-best result of third on Rally Poland’s high-speed gravel roads earlier this year.

Armstrong faces stiff competition from championship leader Miko Marczyk and ERC event-winner Andrea Mabellini as he looks to climb up from sixth in the overall ERC standings. The M-Sport Ford driver will be confident on Zlin's asphalt stages, which share characteristics with Irish roads.

“Barum Czech Rally Zlin is one of those events where you have to get your foot down from the get-go,” said Armstrong. “There are lots of elevation and camber changes that make it quite challenging.

“There are also sections through forests that have a dirty and mossy road surface. In general, there is a big variation in conditions and surface types. It is a big challenge, but one that we are looking forward to.

“It is all about being confident, making good pacenotes, and driving flat out as much as you can.

“Hopefully, it will be a strong event and we can show the pace that we have had so far this season.”

Another two all MI Rally Academy crews are set to take on the Barum Czech Rally Zlin in Junior ERC. Craig Rahill and Conor Smith will make their Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 debuts on Junior ERC’s penultimate event.

The 2024 Billy Coleman Award winner follows in the footsteps of his hero, Billy Coleman, who drove a Lancia in the 1978 European Rally Championship.

Rahill arrives in excellent form after claiming his first Junior ERC podium on Rally di Roma, and the asphalt expert will fancy his chances on Zlin's sealed surface roads after strong performances on the series' other asphalt rounds.

“I am really looking forward to the next round of Junior ERC in Barum Czech Rally Zlin,” said Rahill. “We are making an exciting change to a Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 for the remainder of the season.

“We are delighted to be continuing to work with the MS Munaretto team, and they have provided us with the opportunity to switch to a Lancia.

“It was an offer I couldn’t turn down when it was presented to me to drive such an iconic brand for the remaining rounds of Junior ERC on Hankook tyres.

“One of the last times an Irish driver has been behind the wheel of a Lancia in the European Rally Championship was Billy Coleman in 1978. As the current Billy Coleman Award winner it is pretty special to be driving a Lancia in ERC like Billy once did; it’s a real honour, it feels like I’m following a bit of a legacy of a driver that I really look up to.

“I am really looking forward to driving a Lancia in full attack in Zlin. The stages look very similar to here at home so hopefully it’s a bit more of what we are used to.

“We were delighted to pick up our first Junior ERC podium last time out on Rally di Roma. The bar is set now, so we are looking to try to do the same again or go for a place higher. It won’t be easy but I am looking forward to another tight battle.”

Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock continue their Peugeot 208 Rally4 campaign, holding a top-ten position in the Junior ERC standings. The crew showed promising asphalt pace on Rally Sierra Morena and set a top-three stage time on Rally di Roma after adapting to challenging sealed surface conditions.

“It feels like a long time since Rally di Roma so I am excited to be back in action at Barum next weekend,” Grogan started. “I have heard a lot of good things about this rally, and with it being the rally most similar to Irish stages all year, we are definitely looking forward to giving it a go.

“The stages look busy, fast, and bumpy with a lot of surface changes, including some full gravel sections, so it looks like it will be a real challenge.

“We are feeling ready, though, and will be giving it our best.”

Barum Czech Rally Zlin begins with shakedown and a super-special stage on Friday before 12 intense stages over the weekend, totalling 207 kilometres of competitive rallying around Zlin.

Elsewhere, Kyle McBride arrives at the Ulster Rally as top seed in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship's Rally4 category. McBride will be aiming to overturn a seven-point deficit to series leader Kalum Graffin in the ITRC 4 standings.

The 22-year-old has maintained a fierce record on asphalt this year with four victories from five starts, including a memorable triumph on his home event, the Donegal International Rally. The MI Rally Academy driver remains in contention for ITRC 4, Junior BRC, and Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup titles in the season's second half.

“I am looking forward to the Ulster,” said McBride. “It is a unique rally on an interesting set of roads. The stages are fast, bumpy, and have a bit of everything.

“It will be nice to get back onto tarmac and we will be using the Ulster Rally as preparation for the next round of the British Rally Championship, Rali Ceredigion.

“Hopefully, we can build on our position in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship as well. A huge thanks to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and the whole team for making it happen. We have a few new sponsors coming on board as well, so a big thanks to them.”

The Ulster Rally kicks off on Friday afternoon with the long Slieve Roe opener, followed by three stages repeated on Friday evening, finishing in darkness on the unique Slieve Gullion test. Six more stages around Newry on Saturday complete the 161-kilometre rally.

Sunday's ALMC Hellfire Stages Rally has MI Rally Academy co-drivers continuing their busy schedules across multiple championships. Killian McArdle returns to National Rally Championship action aboard Michael Cahill's Ford Escort Mk2 just one week after securing a Junior BRC victory on the Grampian Forest Rally.

Academy team-mate and Junior BRC rival Darragh Mullen will also take on the Hellfire Strages Rally alongside Oran England in the Ford Fiesta Rally4. England and Mullen secured an impressive Class 2 victory together on July’s Sligo Stages Rally.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to the Class 2 battle in the National Rally Championship,” stated Mullen. “We have done some work fine-tuning the pacenotes since Sligo, and Oran is also fresh off a class podium on the Cork Forest Rally.

“Hopefully, he can snap back into tarmac mode and we can pick up where we left off in Sligo. Three great stages have been picked and I’m sure it’s going to be a great battle in Class 2 again.”