Forum8 Rally Japan 2024 – Day 1
Five Motorsport Ireland license holders take part in this weekend’s World Rally Championship Finale.
Tyrone man Aaron Johnston sits alongside local hero Takamoto Katsuta in the #18 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 as Toyota once again lock horns with Hyundai in the Constructors championship.
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy Crew Josh McErlean and James Fulton return to WRC action following a WRC2 top-five finish in the Central European Rally in their Toksport WRT Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. It is worth noting that McErlean and Fulton are not scoring points toward their WRC2 campaign in Japan as WRC2 regulations state a crew can only nominate seven rounds for point scoring, and only count six of those seven. With McErlean and Fulton having already completed their seven events, they head to Japan solely for the experience.
One of the most experienced crews taking on the event is the Wexford / Waterford pairing of Eamonn Boland and Mickey Joe “MJ” Morrissey. They make the switch back to the Ford Fiesta Rally2, haven driven a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 on their previous two outings.
Eamonn and MJ know that a finish is all that is needed for MJ to be crowned the 2024 FIA WRC Masters Cup Co-Drivers World Champion. He currently lies fifteen points behind Flavio Zanella, but with the Italian not taking part in the East-Asian event, the opportunity is there for MJ to become the World Champion.
Thursday morning, the 2024 edition of the Forum8 Rally Japan kicked off with the 2.75km Kuragaike Park Shakedown Stage. The Shakedown got underway at 09:01 local time (00:01 Irish time).
McErlean elected for just the one run over the Shakedown stage, while Eamonn Boland, back behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta Rally2, opted for two runs. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston took the fifth fastest time recorded in the Kuragaike Park. Interestingly, the fastest Shakedown time was set by a Rally2 car, driven by newly crowned British Rally Championship Chris Ingram in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
The sole stage of day one of the WRC Forum8 Rally Japan 2024, the Toyota Stadium Super Special Stage, got underway at 19:05 local time (10:05 Irish time). The 2.15km test is a stadium-based sealed surface test that pits two drivers side by side in a head-to-head race.
Although all drivers echoed a similar message, “The real test starts tomorrow,” Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston can be pleased to have placed their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid on the podium in third place at the end of day one.
McErlean and Fulton will go into day two 4.9 seconds behind WRC2 category leader, Nikolay Gryazin. McErlean is enjoying his first outing in Japan. "The people of this country are surreal, the respect they have for us as people coming here is unreal. Let's enjoy the experience."
Eamonn Boland and Mickey Joe Morrissey are doing everything they need to do to get MJ the 2024 FIA WRC Masters Cup Co-Drivers World Championship.
Day two kicks off with the 23.67km Isegami’s Tunnel test at 07:44 local time (22:44 Irish time).
Eamonn Boland and Mickey Joe ‘MJ’ Morrissey’s Ford Fiesta Rally2.