Irish crews lockout Junior BRC podium

Irish crews lockout Junior BRC podium

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy members made a significant impact at the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, securing top positions in both the Junior British Rally Championship (JBRC) and the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK.

Craig Rahill and Conor Smith claimed the Junior BRC class win with a dominant performance in their Ford Fiesta Rally4.

“We got into a good rhythm this morning and a good pace and kept on it. The last few stages were about keeping it clean and tidy,” said Rahill. “We are happy with our pace and really pleased to claim our first BRC win.”

Their impressive pace and consistency earned them a 48-second victory over fellow Academy teammates Ryan MacHugh and Arthur Kierans.

MacHugh’s performance was impressive too. This was just his fourth BRC start and the result ensured him the runner-up position in the Junior championship.

“I am happy with the result, I feel there is a lot more to come but we only decided to enter [the championship] later in the season and with a bit more seat time we could have been closer,” said Donegal-based MacHugh.

Aoife Raftery and Hannah McKillop completed the all-Irish podium sweep in third place.

Raftery delivered a strong performance in her Peugeot 208 Rally4  by setting a string of top three times during the day.

“We really enjoyed the battle, the stages were lovely, and it is great to be back in the British Rally Championship where it all started for me,” said the Galway-based driver.

This was one of Raftery’s best performances to date and she gave her Academy teammates Rahill and MacHugh a good run for their money.

“Our experience in the FIA European Rally Championship really helped us in the longer stages and that showed on the day. There was a hot pace in the Rally4 class all day,” she said.

In the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE and UK, Kyle MacBride and Darragh Mullen secured the event win with a fifth-place finish in the junior class. The result ensured he claimed second in the final championship standings.

“This is a nice way to finish the year,” said the County Donegal driver. “It was a very tricky rally, very loose in sections.”

While Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock were unable to challenge for the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup title due to a late-stage mechanical issue, their strong early performance – when they led the category  – highlighted their potential.

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