M-Sport Ford driver Josh McErlean heads for WRC Safari Rally Kenya

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean aims to continue his impressive run of form in the FIA World Rally Championship [WRC] next week as he tackles the toughest rally on the calendar, Safari Rally Kenya (20-23 March).

With two rounds complete in McErlean’s debut season in Rally1 machinery with the M-Sport Ford team, the 25-year-old Kilrea driver has shown spectacular adaptability to his new surroundings and life in the topflight, building pace and exceeding expectations in both rounds this season.

McErlean, with co-driver Eoin Treacy, debuted in the Ford Puma Rally1 at the notorious Rallye Monte Carlo in January. Taking each stage step-by-step, they finished seventh overall among the world’s best, providing a strong start to the new term.

The snowbanks of Rally Sweden in February offered another insight into McErlean’s natural ability, ling ahead of many more experience rivals before being sucked into the snow on the final morning, recovering to take an all-important finish.

But now, he heads for the unique challenge of the Safari Rally in the heart of the Kenyan plains. He faces tough terrain, including large rocks, water crossings, and a distinctive sand-like substance known as fesh-fesh, which can immobilise even Rally1 vehicles. Crews also encounter wildlife, including giraffes and zebras, which contributes to the demanding schedule and endurance aspect.

“I’ve said it about every rally so far this year, but this event is so unique, it’s hard to fully know what to expect, really”, he says.

“I’d say until we get to somewhere like the Canaries or Portugal, the start of the WRC calendar is extremely specialist, where knowledge of the stages and event can be a huge advantage. So, we are playing catch-up in terms of that, but to be driving a Puma Rally1 on Safari Rally is a dream. It’s an iconic rally, and the challenge that it offers is like nothing else. I’m certainly ready to take it on”.

“We have seen some encouraging pace on the first two events, so it will be all about building on that and seeing how we can increase our speed over the whole weekend. This is certainly not a sprint event, so being smart could well reap some big rewards”.

But McErlean heads to Kenya for the second time in his career, albeit in a much different role.

“Thanks to John Coyne [Patron of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy], I was lucky to do the Classic Safari Rally a few years ago in a Porsche, with Eoin alongside too. It was hard going, but just knowing the kind of things to expect will help with the prep. We have been working very hard behind the scenes since Sweden, so let’s hope we can put it all into practice in Kenya”.

The Safari Rally Kenya gets underway on Wednesday [19 March] with Shakedown before just two special stages the following day. Friday is the longest day with 157km of competitive action, whilst Sunday takes the total to 21 tests and 383km of special stages.

McErlean is backed by Woodland NI, Admore Air Conditioning, SDC Trailers, Hutchinson Engineering, McCormack Contracting Inc, Fastener Connections, Shamrock Building Systems and EC Framing Inc.