EDSL Sport announce new-look squad for West Cork

Official M-Sport Ford re-sellers EDSL Sport will have a new look to its line-up as it heads to round two of the Junior British Rally Championship, the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally this weekend (14/15 March).

After a confidence-boosting fifth place on his Junior BRC debut at the opening round in Wales last month, reigning Cadet Cup champion Rupert Flynn returns for the gruelling closed-road event on the west Ireland coast. He will be joined for the first time by Dublin based Eamonn Kelly who makes his BRC debut after a season in the Irish National Rally Championship.

Proton Iriz R5 set for West Cork Rally assault

A brace of four Proton Iriz R5’s will tackle this weekend’s Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally with Ollie Mellors leading the way at the second round of the British Rally Championship in Ireland (14/15 March).

After taking the Iriz to its first-ever Irish podium at the Birr Stages Rally a fortnight ago, Mellors and co-driver Max Freeman will be aiming for a solid BRC result, adding to Mellors’ fourth place at the series opener in Wales as the Proton brand returned to the BRC for the first time since 2016.

Retson seeks points more than prizes in West Cork

Scottish rally driver Finlay Retson will head to the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally in Ireland this weekend (14/15 March) in the quest for a solid result in the Junior British rally Championship after taking a career-best second place at the opening round last month.

The 19-year-old will be battling for Junior BRC honours in his JSR Services – Blairgowrie and DJR Services backed M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2 as the series makes it first foray of the season onto the asphalt.

Lewis looks for a solid score in West Cork

Junior British Rally Championship contender Eddie Lewis will be aiming to build on his opening round result as the series heads to Ireland this weekend for the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally (14/15 March).

Lewis, 18 from Newark secured a confidence-boosting fourth place in the North Wales forests of the Cambrian Rally in February, narrowly missing out on a podium by just 0.7 seconds on the final stage of the rally.

Creighton sights West Cork Rally as “crucial” in Junior BRC campaign

William Creighton believes that this weekend’s Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally will play a “crucial” part in his Junior British Rally Championship campaign as the series heads to Ireland for the second round (14/15 March).

The Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award nominee enjoyed a dream start to his season, acclimatising perfectly to his new M-Sport Fiesta R2T to win the opening round in Wales last month.

Osian Pryce brings the Volkswagen brand name back to the British Rally Championship on his Southern Ireland rally debut

Osian Pryce will bring the Volkswagen brand name back to the British Rally Championship (BRC) when he drives a Polo GTI R5 on the West Cork Rally (14/15 March).

It will be the first time that the talented 27-year old Machynlleth-born pilot has driven a Volkswagen in competition and the first time that he has ever rallied in Southern Ireland. Whilst his co-driver Noel O’Sullivan comes from Killarney, this will also be his first appearance at the famous West Cork Rally.

Meirion Evans aims to continue good Irish Tarmac Championship start on the challenging West Cork Rally

Meirion Evans is aiming to continue his good start to the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship next weekend, when he contests the West Cork Rally (14/15 March) in The Scan Station-backed Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.

It will only be the second time that the 24-year old Welshman has contested the event. Last year an early fuel pump problem with his Hyundai i20 R5 forced him to superally, where he went on to set some excellent stage times with a flying and trouble-free run on day two.

Mellors gives Proton Iriz R5 maiden Irish podium at Birr Stages

The Proton Iriz R5 took its first Irish podium result at the weekend as Ollie Mellors secured a confidence-boosting third overall at the Birr Stages Rally (23 February) against top Irish Tarmac Rally Championship regulars.

Mellors, who was competing on asphalt for the first time in four years, overcame several hold-ups to set a string of top three times in the Thornbridge Brewery, Reliable Vehicle Logistics and Michelin backed Iriz R5 to take the final podium place across the treacherously wet Irish lanes.

McCormack gives Volkswagen Polo R5 maiden Irish win at Cork 20

Marty McCormack handed Volkswagen Motorsport its first win on Irish soil as he took the Tiger Risk Partners-backed Dom Buckley RSC Polo R5 to victory at the coveted CBToolHire.com Cork “20 International Rally (28-29 September).

McCormack and co-driver Barney Mitchell overcame treacherous conditions and an off-stage incident to land the brand-new Polo its first-ever victory in Ireland by over 18 seconds. The Draperstown ace managed to take the lead on the seventh stage of the 13-test event and was never headed, to win his first rally since the Carrick on Suir Forestry Stages in January.

McCormack to debut Volkswagen Polo R5 at Cork 20 International Rally

Marty McCormack will give the new Volkswagen Polo R5 its Irish debut as the Tiger Risk Partners-backed ace will contest the CBToolHire.com Cork “20 International Rally (28-29 September) behind the wheel of a Dom Buckley RSC example.

The Draperstown driver has been mixing a British Rally Championship programme in a Skoda with his preparation for November’s Roger Albert Clark Rally in a Ford Escort Mk2 this season. But he will now turn his attentions to the legendary Cork 220 in the latest specification Polo R5 and is bidding for a strong run on the tough Irish lanes.

McCormack is no stranger to the R5 generation of machinery and has vast experience in their handling and characteristics. His R5 debut came at Rallye de Portugal as part of the World Rally Championship back in 2013 with a Ford Fiesta R5. A switch to a Skoda Fabia in 2016 kicked off a long partnership with the Czech brand which continues to this day.