Kyle McBride delivered a flawless performance on home soil to take a commanding second win of the season in the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK, dominating the Donegal International Rally [20–22 June] from start to finish and reasserting himself as a major contender in the 2025 title fight.
In front of huge crowds and across some of Ireland’s most iconic tarmac stages, McBride and co-driver Darragh Mullen were in a class of their own, producing a start-to-finish victory that sent a clear message to the rest of the Cup field. After blasting into a 13.6-second lead on the opening test, McBride was rarely troubled, wrapping up the three-day marathon event with a staggering 41-second winning margin.
With six stages on Friday to kick off the rally, McBride set the tone early, winning every single test and using his local knowledge to devastating effect. Fellow Donegal native Joe Kelly, chasing a third consecutive victory, tried to stay in touch but was hindered by notional stage times following interruptions during the day. Despite his best efforts, he ended Friday almost a minute adrift, with Kalum Graffin rounding out the provisional podium after a strong, consistent day in third.
Saturday’s mammoth leg brought over 100 kilometres of classic Irish mileage, including the breathtaking Knockalla stage, and while the chasing pack upped the pace, McBride remained untouchable. It wasn’t until stage eleven that anyone else topped the timesheets, Kelly breaking McBride’s streak with two stage wins, but the damage was already done. McBride finished the day with a 51-second advantage, heading into Sunday’s final loop with his second Cup victory firmly in sight.
Despite a spirited charge from Kelly on the final day, McBride managed the gap superbly to claim an emotional victory on home ground and rocket himself back into title contention as the season crosses the halfway mark. With just a handful of points separating the top crews, the €40,000 ERC prize drive is still very much up for grabs.
Behind McBride, Joe Kelly and Killan McArdle continued their impressive run with second place, adding more valuable points to his already strong championship tally. Kalum Graffin and Mark McGeehan rounded out the podium in third, maintaining their consistency and further establishing themselves as one of the Cup’s standout performers in 2025.
Jack Brennan and co-driver Dylan Harrington, who led the championship heading into the weekend, secured a solid fourth, keeping Brennan’s title hopes very much alive with a steady and strategic run. Meanwhile, Ross Hunter impressed on his Stellantis Cup debut, bringing his Peugeot 208 Rally4 home in fifth, gaining vital mileage on unfamiliar Irish terrain and showing plenty of promise for the rest of the season with Chris Dodds alongside.
With four rounds now complete, the Cup enters its summer break, but the fight is far from over. The points standings see Kelly pick up the top spot, but just six points separate him from fourth-placed McBride, with Brennan and Graffin tying for second, just five points shy.
The next challenge comes in the form of gravel, with the championship resuming at the Grampian Forest Rally in Scotland this August, where the title race will continue to heat up on the fast and flowing forest roads of the UK.
