Eamonn Kelly set to tackle Rally Finland

Eamonn Kelly will realise a childhood dream when he lines up at Rally Finland.

The event has been dubbed ‘Grand Prix of Rallying’ and is the fastest rally in the World Rally Championship.

Frosses driver Kelly and navigator Conor Mohan will tackle Rally Finland’s legendary stages, which get underway on Thursday, in a Hyundai i20 N.

“It is a boyhood dream to be able to go to one of the most iconic rallies in the world and compete, even more so in a Rally2 car,” Kelly, the reigning Junior British Rally champion, said.

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“I’ve been lucky to compete in the Junior WRC this year but this one is pretty special. As well as being a dream it is also very beneficial for our progression, as Finland is as tough as it gets in terms of pace. All in all it’s the ultimate package.”

The 24-year-old made his BRC debut in 2021 and took the top prize in the Junior category last year. As part of the prize, he received a supported drive in a WRC round.

A collaboration between the British Rally Championship and Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing will see Kelly join the Estonian RedGrey squad for this week’s super-fast and legendary stages of Rally Finland.

It will be the Donegal driver’s first visit to the gravel jumps of the Jyväskylä-based event.

Kelly has competed this year in the Junior WRC and he believes the Rally 3 machinery experience will stand him in good stead. Kelly also competed this year in the Conway Cambrian Rally in a Volkswagen Polo GTi.

Kelly said: “The Junior BRC taught me loads in terms of getting stuck into battles and doing everything to come out on top. I was lucky to get two good years of competition and it definitely brought me up a level or two.

“I still have so much to learn at this level so I want to take away as much as possible from the weekend. The aim is to start as positive as our experience allows us, and just build on it as the weekend goes on. There’s no pressure on us and I just want to enjoy every second of the experience and hopefully come away a slightly better driver than when I went in.”

Rally Finland comprises 320km over 22 stages and three days with Kelly set to go up against some of the world’s top crews.