England and Mullen take Stellantis Cup win in Birr
Oran England and Darragh Mullen are the first winners of the revamped Stellantis Rally Cup Ireland after a dominant performance at the Abbey Court Hotel Birr Stages Rally.
Driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4, the Cavan, Sligo crew, who are backed by Lough Owel Motors in Mullingar, led the 11-car field from start to finish. Despite the greasy and damp conditions that caught out several experienced crews, England and Mullen reached the Nenagh finish ramp with a 43-second winning margin.
The victory was the result of a hard-fought battle with rivals across the nine stages.
Speaking at the finish ramp at the Abbey Court Hotel, Oran said the pace at the front was relentless. “We managed to ‘swim’ through it,” he said. “It was a brilliant but tough race. The boys kept us on our toes all day. We’d win a stage, then they’d win one. We never really had a chance to breathe and it was a fight right down to the wire.”
Co-driver Darragh Mullen, reigning British Junior champion, was equally pleased with the performance in the Tipperary lanes. “Super happy with how the weekend in Nenagh went,” he said. “The stages were tricky and we were kept on our toes trying to find grip. It wasn’t handed to us either; it was nip and tuck all day, swapping stage times among the Rally4 boys, but that’s what this class is all about, close competition.”
Tyre choice proved critical during the morning loops as the crew gambled on rubber for the drying surface. The win follows a tactical run in Mayo where Oran and Darragh focused on gathering data on the Michelin tyres.
That preparation paid off on a wet Nenagh Sunday morning, allowing them to find a rhythm early while others were still finding their feet.
Darragh noted the importance of the groundwork done leading up to the event: “The work Oran, myself and the team put into the pacenotes and the car in and after Mayo really paid off. It’s a full circle back to Oran’s first-ever rally, the corresponding Birr Rally two years ago, so it’s interesting to see how far he has come in such a short time behind the wheel.”
The result is a significant boost for their Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship campaign. With two wins from two, it is a vital step toward the Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award nomination available to the championship winner.
The next round of the Trion Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship is the Monaghan Rally on April 12.
“We’re delighted with the result, taking the Stellantis Cup as well as the Class 2 win,” Darragh added. “Thanks to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy for all the behind-the-scenes support in the run-up to the rally.”
With a €3,000 parts voucher secured for the Stellantis round win, the crew now head to the next round in Carlow in May as the championship benchmarks.
Oran England Motorsport is supported by: Peugeot Ireland; TEE Fire Safety Solutions; BJD Electrical; The Mason’s Apron; Lough Owel Motors; BSR Plant and Civil; Fortus; Streamline Coaches; OHR; CA Hire and Kerry Motorsport News.