McErlean leads 13-strong academy entry for Midland Stages Rally

An incredible 13 members of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy are set to take on the National Rally Championship’s opening round, the Midland Stages Rally.

The Longford-based event’s entry is topped by World Rally Championship protagonists Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy. The M-Sport Ford crew returns to home competition after a points-scoring Rally1 debut in Monte-Carlo and a promising snow-rally performance in Sweden.

The duo will switch from their usual Ford Puma Rally1 to a Ford Fiesta Rally2 to make McErlean’s first appearance in Ireland since September’s rain-shortened Cork 20 Rally.

“We are thrilled to be competing on the Midland Stages Rally this weekend in the Admore Air Conditioning M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2,” said McErlean.

“The National Rally Championship’s opening round promises to have top-class competition. It is nice to be back competing in Ireland and enjoying the craic and atmosphere.

“A massive thank you to Paul Rowley for making this possible as well as Woodland NI and Jefferson for their support.”

McErlean and Treacy are joined in Midland’s magnificent line-up of Rally2 cars by MI Rally Academy co-drivers Shane Byrne and Darragh Mullen.

Byrne returns to action with Desi Henry, running in car number six this Sunday. The Citroen C3 Rally2 crew will be hoping to build on a pair of fourth-place finishes recorded on their two National Rally Championship outings last year.

Meanwhile, Mullen will co-drive Paul Rowley’s Fiesta Rally2. The Sligo navigator is hot off the back of a Junior British Rally Championship victory alongside Kyle McBride while Rowley, who balances events in America and Ireland, makes his first start of the season.

2024 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Rally4 champions Ryan MacHugh and Declan Boyle have stepped up to Rally3 machinery this year. The Donegal-based crew make their Ford Fiesta Rally3 debuts in Longford against three similar M-Sport Poland-built cars.

Three MI Rally Academy crews feature in Midland’s 15-strong Rally4 entry. Defending Class 2 champion Craig Rahill tops the list in his Peugeot 208 Rally4 with co-driver Conor Smith alongside. Rahill and Smith set seven fastest Junior BRC times on last Sunday’s East Riding Stages Rally but a couple of spins meant they had to settle for second on their Peugeot debut.

Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock were also in action on Junior BRC’s opener and they line up in the Midlands one car behind Rahill after their East Riding podium. Grogan and Sherlock took Class 2 honours on their Rally4 debut the last time the Midland Stages Rally ran two years ago.

Making their Rally4 debut this Sunday, Jack Harris and Aaron O’Regan jump into a Ford Fiesta Rally4 after a successful year competing in a Fiesta R2T.

“I am really looking forward to the Midland Stages Rally,” said 19-year-old Harris. “It is going to be a big learning weekend as we take on our first rally in the Rally4 Fiesta.

“Our aim is to get points on the board for the MIJRS Championship to kickstart our year. We will be focusing on learning the new car and gradually build our pace throughout the season.”

Rounding out MI Rally Academy’s representation on the Midland Stages Rally, Killian McArdle will co-drive for Michael Cahill aboard a Ford Escort Mk2. The 24-year-old started no fewer than 23 rallies in 2024 which included all but one of Cahill’s promising Class 14 performances.

The Midland Stages Rally takes place over nine stages surrounding Longford this Sunday with stage one, Oghill, starting at 09:10.