McErlean and Treacy traverse new terrain with upcoming Rally Sweden

The Irish crew of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1) ) on shakedown during Rally Sweden, the second round of the World Rally Championship

For the second event in succession the Irish Rally1 crew of Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy take on a specialised event as Rally Sweden provides the backdrop for their latest challenge. After acquitting themselves well on Rallye Monte-Carlo with a seventh placed finish, the Kilrea/Killeagh pair will again focus on getting mileage and experience under their belts as they settle into life at the top tier in the World Rally Championship.

Three years ago McErlean, then driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, finished fifth in the WRC2 Junior category and that experience will be of some benefit, not surprisingly, he is upbeat. 

"Really excited for Rally Sweden, this event is always incredible, it's such a special event with the unique challenge of competing on snow and ice. The grip these cars can generate with the studded tyres is something else. We learned a lot in Monte Carlo and now the focus is on building momentum, taking another step and building speed. I can’t wait to get back in the car and experience the thrill of flying through the forests at full speed.” The Irish pair were seventh in the shakedown.

The Umea based event brings extra challenges for the M-Sport outfit as along with McErlean and Grégoire Munster, the team also features Latvian Martiņs Sesks (on a partial WRC campaign) and Greek returnee Jourdan Serderidis for what is the only full snow-and-ice event in the championship.

Munster netted his first-ever stage win in Monte-Carlo last month and this will be his second outing in Rally1 machinery in Sweden, where he had a tough time adapting to grip and speed levels last year. This time around he aims to avail of his good starting position.

With WRC leader Sebastien Ogier (on a partial programme) sitting out this event, his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 team mate Welsh ace Elfyn Evans will run first on the road. “Opening the road could make for a difficult start to the weekend if there’s a lot of fresh snow like last year. On the other hand, if it’s icy, it could play into our hands. We’ll be giving it our all regardless.” Team team Kalle Rovanperä is eager to bounce back from a disappointing first round.

Reigning World champion Thierry Neuville, who was quickest in yesterday's shakedown, commented, "We need a good setup so we can feel as comfortable as possible - reactivity, precision and traction are crucial to finding success in Sweden. There is still more to test with the new tyres, earning how long the studs last and how much camber you can run are all things we still need to learn." 

Hyundai's Ott Tänak has two Rally Sweden victories to his credit 2019 and 2023 while Adrien Fourmaux was the team's top performer in Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Rally Sweden also signals the beginning of the five-round FIA Junior WRC season with Donegal's Eamonn Kelly and his Monaghan co-driver Conor Mohan amongst the twelve crews in identical M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evos. 

Turkish driver Ali Türkkan, who finished third in last year’s series heads the list that includes Claire Schönborn (Germany) and Lyssia Baudet (Belgium), who join the series through the WRC Promoter’s Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Programme.

Following last evening's short Umea Sprint stage, the first of three full days competition begin today (Friday) with seven stages.

Meanwhile, Moira's William Creighton (26) will contest this season's British Rally Championship with the Castrol MEM Rally Team. The former Junior World Rally champion joins Welsh driver Meirion Evans (29) as they (MEM) bid to retain the Probite British Rally Championship Teams’ title while Creighton and Evans will individually challenge for the Drivers’ trophy. The series begins on Sunday week with the East Riding Stages in east Yorkshire.

Some 500 guests are expected to attend the Billy Coleman Celebration at the Rochestown Park Hotel, Rochestown tomorrow to mark the "Millstreet Maestro's" victory in the 1974 British Rally Championship. Proceeds from the event will be divided between Millstreet Community Hospital, Millstreet Day Care Centre, and Marymount Hospice.