McErlean and Treacy in the wars but finish top 10 in Safari Rally

For the first time in his career Welsh driver Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) took back-to-back victories as he extended his WR lead to 36 points, the biggest ever margin at this point in the history of the series.

Evans fared best during Saturday’s leg where his rivals hit trouble with the event providing an array of challenges in conditions that ranged from bone-dry to rain-soaked mudbaths during the afternoon’s repeat loop of stages.

An overnight 7.7s lead had mushroomed to an impressive one minute and 32.5s that even featured a half spin on SS13. His nearest challenger and Toyota Gazoo Racing team mate Kalle Rovanpera lost time with a front-right tyre puncture on SS12 that cost him 21.1s and a front-left puncture saw him drop a further 55.5s. Tanak punctured on the morning opener and the windscreen of his Hyundai fogged up on SS12 as Takamoto Katsuta finished SS11 (Sleeping Warrior) with the front tyre off the rim.

McErlean was also in the wars, he stopped 20.9k into SS11 and some two minutes later stopped again to replace a broken steering arm and dropped to fifteenth.

The repeat loop brought further drama as Evans extended his advantage to 1m. 57.4s. Although Rovanpera took time back on SS14 he arrived at the finish with a damaged rear suspension arm having made emergency repairs with a ratchet strap to keep his Toyota on the move, he lost several minutes and ended the day in fifth. Tanak was second overnight with team mate Neuville, who punctured and had to contend with a misted screen, completing the overnight podium spots. Katsuta endured his third puncture of the day, stopping and changing a wheel on the final stage. Saturday’s penultimate stage (SS15) provided the M-Sport WRT with their first stage 1-2 of the season with Munster taking the stage win and McErlean/Treacy second - their best stage time of the season before finishing the day in thirteenth.

Rovanpera finished the first of the “Super Sunday” stage with the left front tyre off the rim, worse was to follow when he retired with electrical issues on the way to SS18. His team mate Katsuta and his Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston survived an off road moment on SS18 to remain fourth but their was heartbreak on the final Wolf Power Stage when they rolled soon after the stage start. Although they managed to get the car back on four wheels and were set to claim fifth, the car failed to make it to the final control.

McErlean/Treacy finished SS17 with the front grill of their Ford Puma Rally1 full of grass and had a close call with a dazzle of zebras on SS19, as they moved into eleventh before finishing the final stage with a debeaded front left tyre, securing tenth after Katsuta’s demise. They secured a championship point for finishing fifth over Sunday’s five stages.

“It’s been an incredible experience and a big challenge for us and we went through every extreme possible in Safari and a great amount learnt. The 1-2 on the stage yesterday was nice.” said McErlean. Evans went on to claim his first ever Safari victory as Tanak and Neuville secured second and third respectively - Hyundai’s best result in the event since its return to the WRC in 2021.

Elsewhere, a late entry, Ballylickey’s Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin (Citroen C3 Rally2) took a start to finish victory in the Carlow Forest Rally, the opening round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship. Using the event as a shakedown ahead of the next round of the British Rally Championship, they finished 28.6s ahead of the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Tyrone’s Jason Mitchell.