Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy crew William Creighton and Liam Regan put on a spectacular performance at the season-ending Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, pushing Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani to the limit in a thrilling battle for the Protyre British Rally Championship title.
While Ingram ultimately secured the championship, Creighton and Regan gave it their all and never backed down. The duo, in their Pirelli-shod Ford Fiesta Rally2, were neck-and-neck with Ingram’s Michelin-shod Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 throughout the demanding North Wales stages.
Creighton, who strategically deployed his points-boosting Joker for the final round, pushed hard to overcome Ingram’s lead.
“I tried,” said Creighton. “It’s been a fantastic year, stepping up into the Rally2 car has been amazing and to compete at the top of the British Rally Championship, we are very lucky.”
Creighton won one round and finished second on three more to set up a winner takes it all title fight in North Wales.
The Cambrian Rally saw a fierce four-way battle for the title, with Welsh driver Osian Pryce and Cork’s Keith Cronin also in contention. However, Cronin’s championship hopes were dashed early on due to mechanical issues, while Pryce couldn’t quite match the pace of Ingram and Creighton.
The top two fought hard over the opening four-stage loop and just four seconds separated the title protagonists at the midday service halt in Ruthin. However Creighton overshot a junction on the day sixth stage after being distracted by a marshal.
The Moira driver did not place any blame towards the marshal but the resulting incident cost him over 14 seconds and the rally and the title race were as good as over.
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Irish crews lock out Junior BRC podium
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy members made a significant impact at the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, securing top positions in both the Junior British Rally Championship (JBRC) and the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK.
Craig Rahill and Conor Smith claimed the Junior BRC class win with a dominant performance in their Ford Fiesta Rally4.
“We got into a good rhythm this morning and a good pace and kept on it. The last few stages were about keeping it clean and tidy,” said Rahill. “We are happy with our pace and really pleased to claim our first BRC win.”
Their impressive pace and consistency earned them a 48-second victory over fellow Academy team mates Ryan MacHugh and Arthur Kierans.
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MacHugh’s performance was impressive too. This was just his fourth BRC start and the result ensured him the runner-up position in the Junior championship.
“I am happy with the result, I feel there is a lot more to come but we only decided to enter [the championship] later in the season and with a bit more seat time we could have been closer,” said Donegal-based MacHugh.
Aoife Raftery and Hannah McKillop completed the all-Irish podium sweep in third place.
Raftery delivered a strong performance in her Peugeot 208 Rally4 by setting a string of top three times during the day.
“We really enjoyed the battle, the stages were lovely, and it is great to be back in the British Rally Championship where it all started for me,” said the Galway-based driver.
This was one of Raftery’s best performances to date and she gave her Academy teammates Rahill and MacHugh a good run for their money.
“Our experience in the FIA European Rally Championship really helped us in the longer stages and that showed on the day. There was a hot pace in the Rally4 class all day,” she said.
In the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE and UK, Kyle MacBride and Darragh Mullen secured the event win with a fifth-place finish in the junior class. The result ensured he claimed second in the final championship standings.
“This is a nice way to finish the year,” said the County Donegal driver. “It was a very tricky rally, very loose in sections.”
While Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock were unable to challenge for the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup title due to a late-stage mechanical issue, their strong early performance – when they led the category - highlighted their potential.
Aiden Harper - President of Motorsport Ireland with William Creighton and Jon Armstrong
Text By Sean Moriarty
Action shots by Jakob Ebrey Photography & M-Sport
People shots by Kerry Motorsport News, Jakob Ebrey Photography & MIRallyAcademy
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