Motorsport: Meeke and O'Sullivan win in Wales

Second place was enough for Teemu Suninen to clinch the European Rally Championship with a round to spare

Kris Meeke/Noel O'Sullivan (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) won Rali Ceredigion, the penultimate round of the FIA European Rally Championship. Picture: @World / Red Bull Content Pool.

Former five-time World Rally event winner Kris Meeke (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and his Killarney co-driver Noel O'Sullivan took an impressive victory in Rali Ceredigion in Wales, the penultimate round of the European Rally Championship. They finished 38.6s ahead of the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Finland's Teemu Suninen/Annti Haapala. Second place was enough for Suninen to clinch the European Rally Championship with a round to spare while Meeke's victory put an end to Skoda possible clean sweep of wins in all the championship rounds, a feat that has never been achieved.

In the ERC3 category, Finland's Ville Vatanen (Ford Fietsa Rally3) took top spot to clinch the series ahead of the similar car of Clonmel's Casey Jay Coleman, who finished 1.6s behind as they took a respective ninth and tenth overall.

Meanwhile, the battle in the British Rally Championship (that featured a double round) Max McRae (Skoda Fabia RS rally2) has moved into the lead, pre-event series leader Osian Pryce crashed his Toyota GR Yaris out on the final leg where his fellow Toyota driver Meirion Evans took top points.

Meeke finished Friday's four stages 0.9s behind Suninen but by the end of Saturday's opening 12.02km Aberffrwd stage he led the rally by 11.9s as Suninen had a half spin exiting a tight right-hander a third of the way through the stage and lost some ten seconds. The next stage was cancelled on safety grounds and out on SS7 (20.71km) Suninen cut 5.7s off Meeke's lead that by the mid-day service halt in Aberystwyth stood at 7s. Meeke, who won the first three stages after service ended the day with a lead of 20.5s. He declared, “That’s probably one of the most enjoyable days of Tarmac rallying that I’ve ever done."

Suninen chances of becoming the European champion increased with his closest rival Andrea Mabellini lying seventh overnight. Miko Marczyk was third at that point - a place ahead of fellow Polish Jakub Matulka. Max McRae (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Osian Pryce (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) followed and although McRae was on course for his best ERC finish, both drivers were more concerned with their BRC title hopes. Another contender, Meirion Evans (Toyota) was eighth overnight and third BRC.

Irish Tarmac regular Jersey's Sam Touzel crashed his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 on SS5.

In the ERC3 category Ville Vatanen ended the l1.5s ahead of Clonmel's Casey Jay Coleman.

On Sunday's first stage (SS13) the top three received notional times when Jakub Matulka (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) locked up under braking and crashed into a bale placed in front of a tree, his Skoda blocked the stage. Evans was the quickest of those that had completed the stage prior to the blockage. Pryce retired on the next stage, his Toyota coming to a halt with a mechanical issue. Meanwhile, Suninen had a half spin and stalled his Skoda, Meeke had no issues other than the fact that the stage was delayed, moved into a 36.5s lead. Marczyk continued in third with fourth placed McRae heading the BRC contenders. 

At the finish, Meeke said, "What a weekend, So enjoyable. The development test we did on the Donegal Rally - we came here off the back of that. I feel at home again. I enjoy the drive, as everyone knows. When the package is right, I can drive."

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Meanwhile, in the Lakeland Forest Rally in Enniskillen that counted as a round of the Irish Forest series, Cookstown's Mark Donnelly took a debut win onboard a Skoda Fabia Rally2) with Australian based Patrick O'Brien in the older R5 version finishing 12.4s behind. Carryduff's Jonny Greer (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) was a further ten seconds behind in third. Even though pre-event series leader Josh Moffett (Hyundai R5) finished 31.3s off top spot and seventh overall, he garnered their placed points. Donnelly has reclaimed the championship top spot.

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In circuit racing, Michael Keohane enjoyed his most successful weekend in the Carwow Porsche Carrera GB series where he won the Master's category in both races at the Croft circuit. Qualifying P7 for Sunday's first race on a wet track, the Ballygurteen driver kept his composure despite his Porsche being hit by another competitor early in the race. Although it was close racing for a time, he moved free of Pro-Am drivers Oliver Meadows and Jacob Tofts to finish eighth. In the second race he produced his best performance of the season finishing sixth overall (from P8) and completed the Master's double, poignantly, he dedicated both wins to his late father Paddy.