Robert's Rally Buzz - January 2025

McErlean Gets Dream Job

Santa came early for Josh McErlean. On Thursday 19th December it was announced that the Kilrea driver had landed a dream works drive for M-Sport Ford. He and co-driver Eoin Tracey from Co.Cork will crew a Rally1 Puma in all 14 rounds of the 2025 World Rally Championship, starting this month with the famous Monte Carlo Rally.

The news, to most of us, was totally unexpected. Although Josh had a fairly good year in the 2024 WRC2 category with Skoda (he finished ninth overall) it was widely expected that he would return to that Championship this year.

Apparently Motorsport Ireland Academy’s wealthy founder John Coyne will support and bankroll the venture. McErlane’s teammate on all events will be Gregoire Munster who ran for M-Sport in 2024. The Luxembourg driver is backed by wealthy Greek businessman and sometimes gentleman Ford Puma driver Jourdan Serderidis.

Looking Forward….2025

How our local Rally Diary is shaping up for the year ahead.

JANUARY

No major events here in Northern Ireland, but we all will be watching with interest Josh McErlane’s progress in the Monte Carlo Rally (23rd-26th) as the Ulsterman sets out on his first Rally1 journey in the WRC. Time to subscribe to RallyTV then!

Favourite for the 2025 World Championship must be the returning Kale Rovenpera in his Toyota Yaris. Other full-time       contenders this year will be Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari (Toyota), Ott Tanak, Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai). There will be no hybrid on Rally1 cars this year.

FEBRUARY

First event of the year here on the ANICC calendar is Mid Antrim MC’s Targa Rally on Sat.1st. Then we have North Armagh Motor Club’s Kirkistown Stages Rally (15th). This “Inter-Club” single-venue event (if indeed it runs) will NOT be a round of the NI Championship this year. Expect to see crews setting up their cars for the year ahead. Omagh MC’s gravel Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown on Saturday 22nd is round one of the 2025 Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge.

Further afield, the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship kicks off with the Galway International Rally (1st-2nd). The Donegal Forest Rally is round one of the Irish Forest Rally Championship (16th).

MARCH

The 2025 ANICC Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship starts with the Ballynahinch & District MC’s single-venue Race & Rally Bishopscourt Stages on Saturday 8th. Once again the Championship will feature five sealed-surface events. Question is will Jonny Greer win again?

APRIL

Magherafelt MC host round two and the first closed-road round of the NI Championship. The Tour of the Sperrins takes place on Saturday 5th. The UAC Circuit of Ireland Rally will be a two-day event run over Good Friday 18th and Saturday 19th. The Circuit will be round three of the 2025 Irish Tarmac Championship.

MAY

Maiden City Motor Club are due to run their closed-road Eakin Bros. Stages Rally, round three of the NI Championship on Saturday 24th.

JUNE

Cookstown MC’s Tyrone Stages Rally is on the calendar and scheduled for Saturday 7th, although it will not be a round of the NI Championship this year. The Donegal International Rally, round five of the ITRC, takes place over the weekend of Friday 20th-Sunday 22nd.

JULY

North Armagh MC are the organisers of the Loughgall Stages Rally, round four of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship. The rally (on Sat.5th) will use the local Country Park plus closed-road tests. On Saturday 19th Rathfriland MC will run the closed-road Down Rally. As well as the fifth and final round of the NI Championship the event, returning after two years, will also be a round of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.

AUGUST

The Modern Tyres Ulster Rally reverts to a two-day event in 2025. Round six of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship the rally will be based again in Newry on Friday 15th & Saturday 16th but the organisers (NI Motor Club) say there will be night stages as well as some new tests.

SEPTEMBER

Back to the woods for the Lakeland Stages on Saturday 6th. Based in Enniskillen and organised by the local Motor Club, the rally is round two of the NI Forest Rally Challenge. Then two weeks later Omagh MC celebrate their 50th anniversary of the famous Bushwhacker Rally with a special two-day event on Fri.19th-Sat. 20th in the forests of West Tyrone. The “whacker” will be round three of the NI Forest Rally Challenge. Both these gravel rallies will be the concluding rounds  of the 2025 Irish Forest Rally Championship.

OCTOBER

The Maiden City Motor Club’s Dogleap Rally should be the fourth and final round of the 2025 Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge. Due to use the Co.Derry forests of Springwell and Cam the gravel event takes place on Saturday 17th and signals the end of the major Northern Ireland rallies this year.

HAPPY NEW RALLYING YEAR TO YOU ALL!