Kyle McBride claims Junior BRC victory with commanding performance

Carndonagh's Kyle McBride has commenced his pursuit of the Junior British Rally Championship (BRC) title with a commanding victory at the East Riding Stages in Yorkshire. 

Navigating alongside co-driver Darragh Mullen, the Donegal man and Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member led a podium sweep for Irish crews, finishing 10.6 seconds ahead of Craig Rahill and Conor Smith, with Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock securing third place. 

In 2024, he showcased exceptional talent in the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup, clinching maximum points in three rounds behind the wheel of his Peugeot 208 Rally4.  

Despite narrowly missing out on the championship title to Wales' Ioan Lloyd, McBride's consistent performances earned him a nomination for the prestigious 2024 Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award.  

This accolade, supported by Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland, offers a €50,000 support package to the winner for both domestic and international rallies in 2025.  

In the senior category, Northern Ireland's William Creighton began his British Rally Championship title quest with a victory at the East Riding Stages.  

Piloting a Toyota GR Yaris alongside co-driver Liam Regan, Creighton dominated by winning seven of the ten tarmac stages, finishing 23.8 seconds ahead of Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin, with James Williams and Ross Whittock in third.  

The next round of the season is the Carlisle Stages, scheduled for 12 April.