M-Sport Rally1 driver Josh McErlean has joined the fight to win this year’s Donegal International Rally, against rivals like Kris Meeke.
The World Rally Championship driver will drive an M-Sport-entered Ford Fiesta Rally2 alongside co-driver Eoin Treacy on the June 19-21 event, which counts as round five of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The rally falls three weeks after this weekend’s Rally Japan, and just one week before McErlean’s next round of the WRC in Greece. However he felt the opportunity to compete in his home country’s most famous rally was too good to turn down.
“When you get the chance to do Donegal, the answer is yes; then you figure out what you need to do to make it happen,” McErlean said.
“It just about fits into our WRC program, and to be doing it in an M-Sport Fiesta Rally2 is fantastic. Obviously, it won’t be quite the same as the Puma Rally1, but I’m sure everything will still feel very familiar very quickly.”
McErlean's current WRC team-mate Jon Armstrong drove Donegal last year, but crashed on the final stage
While McErlean brings WRC experience to the table, he has never actually started the Donegal International Rally before.
“It’s been a dream of mine to contest Donegal for many years now, so to finally get the chance to do it is very special indeed,” he added.
“I grew up standing on the hedges watching this rally. I’ve been there most years as a fan, so to now be competing on the event after all this time makes it even more special. There is nothing quite like Donegal – the atmosphere, the fans and the enthusiasm around the event are completely unique and I can’t wait to be part of it.”
Five-time WRC winner Meeke and co-driver Liam Regan are expected to be McErlean’s biggest opposition. The former Toyota, Citroën and Mini driver will pilot a GR Yaris Rally2 in a one-off Irish appearance after conducting development testing with the car last week.
The full entry list is revealed on Friday, but reigning Irish Tarmac champion Callum Devine (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2), championship leader Josh Moffett (Toyota), Eddie Doherty (Škoda), David Kelly (Škoda) and Junior WRC event winner Eamonn Kelly (Toyota) are expected to be in contention too, with European Rally Championship driver William Creighton tipped to make an appearance as well.
There will naturally be some expectation around us going into the event, but honestly I just want to enjoy the experienceJosh McErlean
“The competition in Ireland is always incredibly strong, and Donegal is no different,” McErlean said. “The entry list is always packed with quality, and you know there are so many crews capable of fighting at the front.
“Of course, there will naturally be some expectation around us going into the event, but honestly, I just want to enjoy the experience, the rally, the fans and being back competing on home soil again. It will also be really nice to showcase the Fiesta Rally2 at the event and thank you to M-Sport for the opportunity.
“I must say thank you to all of our partners for making this possible. Everyone has worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen, and I can’t wait to get started.”
