Casey Jay Coleman sets sights on Italian gravel after Spanish finish
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Casey Jay Coleman and co-driver Killian McArdle delivered a solid performance on the Rallye Ciudad de Granada, finishing seventh overall in their Škoda Fabia Rally2.
The eight-stage event, which served as the final round of the Spanish Gravel Championship, provided the Irish crew with another steep learning curve in top-tier four-wheel-drive machinery following their run in Portugal just two weeks earlier.
Facing a competitive field that included local Spanish Rally2 contenders alongside world-class Finnish drivers Roope Korhonen and Mikko Heikkila, Coleman and McArdle had to adapt quickly to sandy, loose stages and heavy dust throughout the weekend.
“It’s been a hectic two weeks for myself, Killian and the team, after ERC Portugal we headed straight for Granada in Spain,” said Coleman. “Our second event in the Skoda on gravel was another great learning experience on a completely different surface to Portugal. It was very sandy and loose, we battled strong dust on the stages all weekend, but really nice to come away with seventh overall and more importantly valuable experience on gravel for myself.”
Coleman highlighted the transition from battling for podiums in lower-tier machinery to adapting to the pace of top international Rally2 competitors:
“Of course it’s a big change from fighting for wins and podiums all year in the Rally3 to now working on gaining confidence and reducing the seconds-per-kilometre gap to the best Rally2 drivers in the world, with Roope Korhonen for example. Overall it’s been a very successful two weeks in Portugal and Spain. As always, thanks to the team, sponsors and the MI Rally Academy.”
Next Stop: Historic Italian Gravel
Coleman and McArdle now turn their attention to Italy later this month for the Tuscan-based Rally del Brunello.
The prestigious Italian gravel fixture will see the Rally Academy duo tackle legendary Tuscan stages made famous by Rally Sanremo during the wild Group B era of the World Rally Championship in the 1980s.
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