Irishman Joseph Kelly put to bed his opening-round misfortunes by dominating the Carlisle Stages Rally in Cumbria, UK, last weekend, taking his first-ever Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK victory to put himself back in the title hunt.
The Race & Rally-organised Stellantis Cup is one of the most unpredictable and exciting categories in British and Irish rallying. Stars of the future battle it out on a mix of surfaces at some of the best events in the UK and Ireland. Now in its second season, the home to Rally4 cars from motoring group Stellantis has an inviting end-of-season prize for the overall champion.
The person at the top of the standings come October will be given a springboard into the FIA Junior European Rally Championship or ERC4 category in 2026 – with championship registration, entries, and tyres for five rounds worth up to €40,000 all covered by the organisers.
The first gravel round for the 2025 Cup, backed by Race & Rally with support from Michelin Motorsport, Protyre Motorsport Ireland, and LP Tents, headed to the Kielder Forestry Complex near Carlisle. The fearsome, fast, and furious venue is not one for the faint-hearted as the championship joined up with the Probite British Rally Championship. The one-day, five-stage, 50-mile shootout on the loose awaited the registered crews.
Six crews lined up for the battle, with Kyle McBride first on the road in his Peugeot 208 Rally4 – having won the previous Stellantis Cup round and the Junior BRC opener. The County Donegal driver was tipped to be fighting at the front again but could only manage third on the opening test behind an on-form Joseph Kelly and Jack Brennan.
Kelly, with co-driver James McBrearty, had a point to prove, having retired early from the opening cup round in West Cork. With zero points on the board, the Donegal ace had to do the business in England. Despite growing up in Ireland, where asphalt was the dominant surface for events, Kelly preferred the loose gravel stages, and it showed as he gapped out a three-second lead on the short opening test.
On the second stage, Kelly put the hammer down and stretched his advantage to a whopping 20 seconds. On the events’ five stages, Kelly was the King of Kielder as the Peugeot 208 driver won every stage and kept on stretching his lead with each timed test – to eventually return to Carlisle with a stranglehold on the opposition and a comfy 45.8-second victory in his pocket. It was a successful weekend – as well as Stellantis success, they picked up the Junior BRC win and a Race & Rally voucher for €3,000.
McBride, who slotted into third behind Kelly and Brennan on the opener, couldn’t live with the scorching pace of his fellow countryman Kelly in the hot and dusty conditions. Settling for a strong second would have seen McBride and navigator Darragh Mullen extend their championship lead, but woes were to present themselves on SS4. A puncture forced the Motorsport Ireland Academy crew to change the flailing rubber on the rim mid-stage. With the duo up and running again, an off towards the end of the stage saw the pair roll out of the event.
Brennan, who had lost second to McBride on SS2, was to be the main benefactor once again. The Irishman, with co-driver Eoghan Doherty sat alongside, kept themselves consistent and out of trouble, and like West Cork, they were to benefit from the misfortune of others—taking the second runner-up position of the season, the second €1,500 cheque of the year, and, with it, the championship lead heading into Killarney.
Stellantis’ new recruits Sam Mason and James Seymour, who are only in their first season in the 208 Rally4, were seeking mileage and experience. A mature approach saw them hold third after McBride’s departure, but technical gremlins made their way into the car. Despite pushing it out the stage with the help of fans, the car couldn’t restart and make the journey back to the ceremonial finish.
Kalum Graffin and Mark McGeehan, who came third in West Cork, didn’t feel quite at home on the loose but battled with their more experienced counterparts. Their persistence was rewarded with a podium at the finish and the €1,000 voucher after the demise of Mason and Seymour. Last-minute registrations Natalie Robinson and Sam Collis, despite a scary – almost rolling visit into a famous Kielder ditch, managed to save and gather up the moment on their way to rounding out the top four Stellantis finishers.
Round 2 Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK winner Joseph Kelly said: “That was some day – I didn’t expect it at all, it came out of nowhere for me,” said a delighted Kelly. “I started the rally like I did with any rally, taking it steady – having a steady run and we kept that mindset all day and avoided doing anything stupid. It was a pity to see Kyle [McBride] out early on, but we are over the moon with our drive. This is James’ [McBrearty- co-driver] first time in the BRC and I am delighted for him and the win for me is the biggest win for me on either BRC or Irish Tarmac – I am over the moon and absolutely delighted and a big thank you to the big team behind me – it wouldn’t be possible without them.”
The championship travels back across the Irish Sea, with Killarney Rally of the Lakes (3-4 May) as its next destination.
