Stellantis Cup contenders set for European showdown at Rali Ceredigion 

The 2024 Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK enters its critical phase this week as the championship links up with the FIA European Rally Championship for Rali Ceredigion [August 30 – September 1].

Promoted by Race & Rally, the new-for-2024 championship for both Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa Rally4 machinery allows drivers to compete across eight, top-class events in Ireland and the UK.

An on-event cash pot of €6,000 is available to the first five crews’ home at each event, with the winner collecting €3,000, sliding down to €500 for fourth place. The fifth-placed driver receives one Michelin Motorsport tyre from distributors Protyre Motorsport Ireland.

Plus, the Junior champion at the end of the season will receive registration to the 2025 FIA Junior European Rally Championship, entry fees to six rounds of the Junior ERC and 12 tyres per round contested in the series, worth almost €40,000.

After five of eight rounds, young Irish pairing Keelan Grogan/Ayrton Sherlock lead the championship – boosted by a victory last time out at the Grampian Forest Rally – by 16 points over Welshmen Ioan Lloyd/Sion Williams. Kyle McBride/Darragh Mullen are the other crew in title contention, 10 points shy of Lloyd.

But as the Stellantis Cup returns to Tarmac and the Welsh country lanes of Ceredigion – which could be critical in the outcome of the championship – it’s Lloyd who is perhaps seen as the favourite with his local knowledge and previous class-winning experience of the event which has been promoted to FIA ERC status for 2024.

“We’re focused on getting a strong score for the championship to keep us in the fight,” Lloyd said. “We are currently second so we’re hoping we can close the gap this weekend, but we expect to have another tight race as we have all year.

“It’ll be a real challenge but the nature of the roads look fantastic,” Lloyd added. “It looks like there’s going to be a lot of variety in the nature of the stages so it’ll make it interesting.

“It’s a long and challenging event so we will have to try and remember that the prizes are at the end.”

Returning to the Stellantis field for the first time since the Donegal International Rally back in June 18-year-old Kalum Graffin and co-driver Mark McGeehan complete the line-up of Peugeot 208 Rally4s taking on round six.

Each competitor will also vie for Junior British Rally Championship points, while top seeds McBride and Lloyd have both elected to score in the European Rally Championship as well.

Held over three days, Rali Ceredigion comprises 14 stages spread over 184km. The event begins on Friday evening around the host town of Aberystwyth and ends on Sunday afternoon.