Another podium for England and Mullen as junior championship battle intensifies

Oran England and Darragh Mullen secured another podium finish on Saturday, marking their first loose surface podium of the 2026 campaign, at the EARS Motorsport Moonraker Forest Rally. The result ensures that England holds second place in the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series (MIJRS) after three rounds.

Having already proven themselves as class winners on tarmac with victories in Mayo and Birr earlier this year, this is the crew’s best loose surface result of the current season.

It marks an improvement from their fourth place finish at the Yeats Ridge Forest Rally in Sligo in February. While the pair secured podium finishes on gravel during 2025, this first gravel trophy of 2026 maintains their second place position in the dual-surface MIJRS title race.

The Virginia, County Cavan driver and his Westmeath-based Sligo co-driver guided their Peugeot Ireland backed Peugeot 208 Rally4 through six demanding stages in the Dungarvan forests. The event was the second round of the 2026 Trailer Parts and Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship and the third round for the junior series.

The morning loop proved to be a significant test of car setup. “Every gravel event is a learning curve, trying to figure out the car and how it reacts to different surfaces,” England said. “It was a real bumpy rally, and the Peugeot was well able for the bumps.

“I made a few mistakes, running wide in places and missing some braking points, but we know there is more time to be gained. We’re moving forward and getting more used to the car on gravel, so we’re happy with the weekend.”

Co-driver Darragh Mullen, a member of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, provided the essential experience from the notes to guide the Rally4 machine through the high-speed sections.

“The Moonraker was a great day and we were happy to take third in class,” he said. “It was good to be right in the mix from the opening stage. The work we’ve put in behind the scenes since the last forestry round is starting to pay off and the programme is heading in the right direction.”

The podium finish keeps England well in the hunt for MIJRS honours this year.

The championship now moves to Carlow in mid-May, marking a return to England’s preferred tarmac surface. The Carlow Rally doubles as a round of the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship, where England and Mullen also lead their category in the national title race.

Oran England Motorsport is supported by: Peugeot Ireland; TEE Fire Safety Solutions; BJD Electrical; IRL Motorsports; The Mason’s Apron; Lough Owel Motors, Mullingar; BSR Plant and Civil; Fortus; Streamline Coaches; OHR; CA Hire; and Kerry Motorsport News.