Ioan Lloyd and Sion Williams have been crowned the inaugural Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK champions after a perfect performance on the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally [October 26].
Heading into the eighth and final round in North Wales, three crews still had a shot at claiming the 2024 title and the FIA European Rally Championship prize drive that came with it.
Welshman Ioan Lloyd and his co-driver Sion Williams held the initiative, competing on home turf in their Peugeot 208 Rally4 with a decent points lead in their pockets thanks to three wins earlier in the season. But rapid Irishmen Kyle McBride/Darragh Mullen and Keelan Grogan/Ayrton Sherlock are also proven winners and each lurked within striking distance, ready to pounce should Lloyd slip up.
Seven stages and 58 competitive miles would decide the outcome, including some former Wales Rally GB classics including Elsi, Alwen, Brenig and the meaty 15-mile Clocaenog test.
Immediately, Irish pretenders McBride and Grogan entered into a battle for the lead, with both needing a victory to stand any realistic chance of denying Lloyd the coveted championship crown.
McBride nipped ahead after SS1, but a blistering time on the long Clocaenog test boosted Grogan ahead, and by first service he was over 25s to the good – aided by a small drama for McBride who lost his bumper, and power, after landing heavily over a jump.
Grogan’s hopes were, however, dashed on the second pass of Clocaenog, as he was forced to park his Peugeot 208 Rally4 up with a mechanical problem and his dreams of the Stellantis title ebbed away.
That all but assured McBride of his third Stellantis victory of the season, and second in a row, but the big prize was reserved for the driver over a minute down the order.
Lloyd only needed to record a respectable finish to grab the championship crown, but on stages as demanding as the Cambrian’s, that was far easier said than done. However, the young Welshman didn’t put a foot wrong and second place at the finish was more than enough for him and co-driver Williams to become the inaugural Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK champions.
In also claiming the Junior title, the Welshmen will compete in next year’s FIA Junior European Rally Championship.
“How good does that sound, absolutely class, I’m delighted,” Lloyd beamed.
“It’s a dream come true so thanks to everyone involved. It’s been a tough day at the office but I can’t thank my family enough. It’s a massive effort, but bring on next year!
“Thanks to Race & Rally for organising a championship like this,” he added. “One-make championships are hugely important for young drivers like myself to prove our potential – it’s been an amazing season with huge battles on every round.”
After becoming Junior champion, Lloyd will now 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, worth almost €40,000.
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, offering an on-event cash pot of €6,000 with support from Michelin Motorsport, distributors Protyre Motorsport Ireland and LP Tent.
