High-Speed Ambitions in the Finnish Forests

As the World Rally Championship (WRC) caravan descends on Jyväskylä, all eyes turn to Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy protégé Josh McErlean. The 26-year-old Northern Irishman enters Rally Finland – dubbed the Gravel Grand Prix – fresh from a career-best ninth-place finish in Estonia, ready to attack the series' most iconic stages.

The Ultimate Speed Test

• Stage Characteristics: 320km of rollercoaster gravel roads featuring 70+ jumps
• Historical Context: 73rd edition of the event first won by Erik Carlsson in 1951
• Technical Challenge: Average speeds exceeding 125km/h demand millimeter-perfect pacenotes

McErlean’s Ford Puma Rally1 hybrid machine will face its sternest test yet:

"These Finnish stages separate the brave from the broken," McErlean told BBC Sport NI. "When you’re airborne over Kakaristo jump at 180km/h, that’s when you learn what rallying’s about."

Strategic Development

1. Road Position Analysis: Improved starting position vs Estonia’s dust-choked stages
2. Suspension Tweaks: M-Sport engineers implementing low-grip gravel setup
3. Hybrid Deployment: Optimizing electric boost for 1.5km Ouninpohja straight

With co-driver Eoin Treacy celebrating his 30th birthday during recce, McErlean remains focused: "We’ve cracked the code on slow-speed corners – now we need to translate that confidence to sixth-gear commitments. That Ypsilon junction flick? I want to take it flat like Rovanperä."

Weekend Schedule Highlights

• Thursday Night: Harju super special under Helsinki floodlights
• Friday Marathon: 145km across Laukaa and Myhinpää forests
• Saturday Showdown: Legendary Ouninpohja stage (20.5km of jumps and crests)
• Sunday Finale: Power Stage featuring 3.5km Ruuhimäki ski jump section

As championship leader Kalle Rovanperä seeks a historic fourth consecutive Finland win, McErlean’s battle begins further down the order: "Beating our Estonia time by 1.2s/km would put us in top-six territory – that’s the target," revealed the Kilrea native, currently 11th in championship standings.