The Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK returns to the UK this weekend, heading for the Scottish forests and the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally [August 9-10] as the second half of the season begins.
Promoted by Race & Rally, the new-for-2024 championship for both Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa Rally4 machinery allows drivers to compete across eight, top-class events in Ireland and the UK.
Four rounds into the season, the Cup has proved exceptionally competitive with three different drivers (Ioan Lloyd, Robert Proudlock and Kyle McBride) taking victories so far.
As a result the standings could not be closer, as the ever-consistent Keelan Grogan leads the way by just one point over McBride, with Lloyd also within 10 of the leader.
Round five takes the crews to Scotland and up to Aberdeen for a two-day blast on some classic forest stages – two on Friday evening before a further seven on Saturday – totalling 57 miles as the Cup once again links up with the Probite British Rally Championship.
It will be a big challenge for all concerned, and should play into the hands of those who prefer the loose as it’s just the second time the competitors have headed for gravel this season.
Scotsman Proudlock is one such driver, and can count on home support – and knowledge – as one of just two of this week’s entrants to have driven the Grampian stages before.
“Coming back to the Grampian for the third year on the trot is going to be amazing, the fast nature of the stages have always suited me well,” Proudlock said. “We’ve had two great finishes in the last two years so I’m excited to see what we can do in a quicker car this time round.
“This year though, I feel the challenge is going to be greater. With the hot pace this year in the Stellantis Cup we’re going to have to be on our toes from the word go!
“It’s the first time this year the championship’s visited a Scottish forest, so I’ll be pushing hard from the start in search of a win.”
Lloyd is the only other to have driven on the tracks near Banchory, and showed strong speed on the Severn Valley Stages earlier in the season before spinning his Peugeot.
However the speed of Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy drivers McBride and Grogan makes them guaranteed contenders, with Michael Fitzgibbon also in the mix and looking for a strong finish after his last outing on the gravel of Wales.
An on-event cash pot of €6,000 is available to the first five crews’ home at each event, with the winner collecting €3,000, sliding down to €500 for fourth place. The fifth-placed driver receives one Michelin Motorsport tyre from distributors Protyre Motorsport Ireland.
Plus, the Junior champion at the end of the season will receive registration to the 2025 FIA Junior European Rally Championship, entry fees to six rounds of the Junior ERC and 12 tyres per round contested in the series, worth almost €40,000.
Provisional Top 5 Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK Points after round 4 – the Donegal International Rally
- Keelan Grogan/Ayrton Sherlock 59
- Kyle McBride/Darragh Mullen 58
- Ioan Lloyd/Sion Williams 50
- Casey Jay Coleman/Lorcan Moore 44
- Cian Caldwell/Liam Egan 30
