Motorsport: Armstrong and McErlean relishing Croatia challenge

The drivers have contrasting levels of experience in the country.

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026 - 06:19

Martin Walsh

In what is the first pure asphalt rally of this season's World Rally Championship, the M-Sport Ford Irish WRC drivers Jon Armstrong and Josh McErlean will begin today's Rally Croatia with contrasting levels of experience.

Kesh native Armstrong and his Donegal co-driver Shane Byrne won the event last year when it was part of the European Rally Championship while Kilrea's McErlean and his Killeagh co-driver Eoin Treacy are on their maiden outing in the event. “Croatia Rally is a special event for me - I took my first Junior WRC victory there in 2021 and went on to win overall in the ERC in 2025, so it holds a lot of great memories. This year’s stages are closer to the coast, bringing a fresh challenge with a faster, more circuit-like flow. After a strong pre-event test, I’m excited to see what kind of pace we can deliver,” said Armstrong.

McErlean commented, “Croatia is another important rally for me to keep improving on tarmac and focus on myself, the feeling and my driving. The stages look really cool this year with a lot of new ones, so it should be a good challenge. The goal is a clean, consistent weekend and to keep progressing.”

Meanwhile, in the Junior WRC, Cavan ace Craig Rahill (Ford Fiesta Rally3) outlined his plans. “I’m looking forward to getting back onto tarmac now. We have taken the positives from Sweden and learned from our mistakes and are ready to reset and get stuck into Croatia. We did the Quattro River Rally last weekend (finishing fourth overall) with KMS Racing in preparation to get a feel for the Fiesta Rally3 Evo on tarmac.” WR Championship leader Elfyn Evans heads a Toyota Gazoo Racing Team holding the top three overall places - eight points ahead of Oliver Solberg with Safari Rally Kenya winner Takamoto Katsuta (and his Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston) a further three points behind. Toyota also dominate the manufacturers’ standings 43 points ahead of Hyundai. On the last outing in Kenya, Evans had his first retirement in nineteen starts but returned to gleam six points from Super Sunday. From taking their first podium of the season in Kenya, Hyundai are boosted by the return of Hayden Paddon, who joins Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux. Headquartered in Rijeka, there are eight stages today.

On the home front, Monaghan's Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and Donegal's David Kelly (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) renew their rivalry on Sunday's Monaghan Rally, the third round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship. Last weekend, Kelly won the Circuit of Ireland by a half second from Moffett and also triumphed on the Mayo Rally in Westport to secure first-ever victories in the respective rounds of the ITRC and Irish national championship. Moffett is a multiple winner of his home event where his elder brother Sam (Hyundai i20 Rally2), who is seeded at eight, has also won several times. Kelly skipped the last national round in Nenagh and trails Moffett by fourteen points. The capacity and competitive entry also features Donegal's Michael Boyle (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) the returning Eamonn Kelly (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) along with Longford's Shane Quinn (Ford Fiesta Rally2), who is just two points behind championship leader Josh Moffett. Ballylickey's Daniel Cronin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) is hoping to get a late call from the reserve list.

Meanwhile, a new season in the British Rally Championship gets underway tomorrow with the Severn Valley Rally where Welsh drivers Osian Pryce and Meirion Evans spearhead the Castrol MEM Rally Team's title challenges in a pair of Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars. Pryce, a BRC winner in 2022, who won the Severn Valley event in 2024, is the top seed with Max McRae (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) sandwiched between the Welsh drivers. Marty McCormack (BWM M3) is the top entry in the Historic category. The first of the day's seven stages begins at 8.43am.

Motorsport Ireland has confirmed that it has received an application for an approved organisation from a west of Ireland based group named the Wild Atlantic Motor Club. According to MI's general competition rules a club aspiring to affiliation must, "normally, be an Approved Organisation for a period of two years before making an application for affiliation." The MI rules also state that such an organisation and its policy should not conflict with any affiliated club. Accordingly, the Motorsport Council shall decide on the acceptability of any application.