Motorsport: Kelly capitalises to claim Rally Croatia Junior event success

Donegal’s Eamonn Kelly and his Monaghan co-driver Mohan Conor celebrate on the podium in first place after winning the World Rally Championship Junior WRC category in Zagreb, Croatia. Pic: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool.

Welsh ace Elfyn Evans (Toyota Yaris Rally1) bridged a two-year gap with victory in Rally Croatia, round four of the World Rally Championship. 

In what has been a tragic week due to the death of Waterford’s Craig Breen during a test accident with his Hyundai Motorsport team, Irish fans departed Zagreb with some good news when Donegal’s Eamonn Kelly and his Monaghan co-driver Conor Mohan (Ford Fiesta Rally4) won the Junior event where several leaders went by the wayside including Moira’s William Creighton in a similar car.

Creighton had led through the opening leg, impressing with no fewer than six fastest stage times to lead Laurent Pellier by 9s. However, he crashed out on Saturday’s opening stage, both himself and co-driver Liam Regan were unscathed.

Kelly capitalised when Diego Dominguez broke the rear right wheel of his car and on Sunday’s final leg, he was in the perfect position to benefit from the retirement of Pellier and engine trouble for Tom Rensonnet to take his first win.

Creighton, who won the previous round in Sweden, returned under Rally2 and was quickest on all four stages of the final leg to claim valuable championship points.

The Wexford/Waterford duo of Eamonn Boland/Mickey Joe Morrissey (Citroen C3 Rally2) took the final podium spot in the WRC Masters podium.

In the main event, Frenchman Thierry Neuville moved into the lead on Friday’s opening leg after early leader Sebastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris) had to stop and change a punctured wheel. But Neuville’s rally ended when his Hyundai hit a concrete block, damaging the front left wheel and some suspension parts. 

The incident promoted Evans into the lead as he increased his advantage over Ott Tanak (Ford Puma). But Tanak ramped up his pace and while he reduced the deficit to 12.5s by SS14, a technical issue cost him time and he ended the penultimate leg trailing the Welshman by 25.4s. Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai) occupied third from Ogier, who incurred a one-minute time penalty for a safety breach on Friday evening.

Lappi went on to dedicate his third place to the late Craig Breen with Tanak, Kalle Rovanpera, Ogier and Takamoto Katsuta and his Northern Ireland co-driver Aaron Johnston completing the top six.

Evans and Ogier share the lead of the series from their teammate Kalle Rovanpera, who is a point behind.

On the domestic front and despite a spin on the final stage, Antrim’s Derek McGarrity (VW Polo GTi R5) hung on to win the Eakin Brothers BJT Maiden City Rally in the Shackleton complex. 

In what was the third round of the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship, he finished just 0.7 of a second ahead of Ford Fiesta R5 of Gareth Sayers with Desi Henry (Citroen C3 Rally2) securing third with the best time on the sixth stage. 

Jonny Greer (Citroen C3 Rally2), who led after the third stage retired when the turbo broke off the manifold and damaged the wiring loom.

In the 4 Hours of Barcelona, the opening round of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) Cork racer Matt Griffin and his Spirit of Race teammates South African David Perel and British driver Duncan Cameron finished fifth in the LMGTE category.

Cork’s Robert Cronin (18) made his racing debut in the Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge GB series in Donington Park finishing twelfth, ninth and eleventh in the respective three races.

Rally Croatia (Round 4, World Rally Championship) Zagreb: 1. E. Evans/S Martin (Toyota GR Yaris) 2h. 50m. 54.3s.; 2. O. Tanak/M. Jarveoja (Ford Puma Rally1) +27.0s; 3. E. Lappi/J. Ferm (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+58.6s; 4. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 18.3s; 5. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 28.0s; 6. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+2m. 22.5s. 19. P. O’Brien/S. O’Brien (Hyundai i20 R5)+25m. 07.1s; 20. E. Kelly/C. Mohan (Ford Fiesta Rally4)+29m. 21.3s.

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings (After Round 4): 1 S. Ogier 69 points; 2. E. Evans 69pts; 3. K. Rovanpera 68pts; 4. O. Tanak 65pts; 5. T. Neuville 58pts; 6. E. Lappi 31pts.

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings (After Round 4): 1. Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 161points; 2. Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 132pts; 3. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 108pts.

Eakin Brothers BJT Maiden City Rally (Round 3, McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship) Shackleton, Derry: 1. D. McGarrity/G. Henderson (VW Polo GTi R5) 40m. 16.9s; 2. G. Sayers/G. Gilchrist (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+0.00.7s; 3. D. Henry/P. Robinson (Citroen C3 Rally2)+9.5s; 4. McLaughlin/D. Curran (Ford Fiesta R5)+11.1s; 5. A. Carmichael/L. Carmichael (Hyundai i20 R5)+36.4s; 6. D. Doherty/M. Doherty (Ford Fiesta R5)+37.6s.