WRC Ace McErlean Heads For Cork 20

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean will make a shock return to the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship this month [29 September], contesting the popular Cork 20 Rally and marking his first appearance in the series since 2019.

The FIA World Rally Championship WRC2 contender will tackle the event in a C&M Motorsport Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 with regular co-driver James Fulton alongside and the pairing will go toe-to-toe with the series regulars at the one-day event.

The rapid Irishman has enjoyed a stellar rise through the ranks since his last ITRC outing at the West Cork Rally some five years ago. Then, McErlean was on his way to clinching the Junior British Rally Championship title, which offered a springboard into four-wheel drive machinery and several seasons behind the wheel of a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 in the FIA European and World Rally Championships.

This season, a switch to the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 has paid dividends with some impressive results and a sensational turn of pace, with McErlean’s maiden WRC2 podium coming at Rally Portugal, taking second place after a thrilling final stage shootout for the win.

Just last weekend, McErlean secured a top 10 overall result at the gruelling WRC Acropolis Rally in Greece, one of the toughest events in the world. Less that a week later, he heads for the Overmountain Rally Tennessee in the USA to contest the ARA round.

Now, he will step back on home soil in the very car that secured him the impressive result thanks to leading motorsport sales outlet C&M Motorsport, who secured the car after Greece, but has offered it back to McErlean for the weekend.

The outing will also serve as an extended test for the upcoming Central European Rally in October which is McErlean’s next event in his WRC2 campaign this season. Cork provides a dynamic location for his maiden outing on asphalt in the Fabia.

“I’m really excited to be heading for Cork and to compete at home once again, it feels like a lifetime since we were last in the region rallying on those classic roads and to be there in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 provided by C&M Motorsport is very special,” he says.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a career since I was there in the Peugeot 208 R2, but events in the ITRC and Cork in particular hold some great memories so to be back in the championship in front of such passionate fans and representing the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy feels like an honour”.

McErlean has been keeping an eye on the Irish Championship during his WRC campaign and has been impressed by the competitive nature of the series this season. But he also acknowledges that Cork offers an important opportunity for his 2024 plans.

“There has been a great battle between the likes of Callum [Devine] Keith [Cronin] and Matt [Edwards] this year and the pace out front looks good. But we do have a goal here of getting valuable seat time on asphalt, it would be a tough ask to turn up at the Central European Rally with no understanding of the Fabia on tar. So, we will be there to do a job, but also to have fun and it will be great getting back amongst the Irish rallying fraternity again.

“I must thank the Academy and all our partners for this opportunity, especially C&M Motorsport, Woodland NI, JMA Ventures and Fire Protection Ireland who have come together to make this project possible. I’m looking forward to this”.

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