Creighton off to a flier with first ‘proper’ BRC win on East Riding Stages

William Creighton cites his East Riding Stages victory last weekend as his first British Rally Championship win, despite taking a maximum score at Rali Ceredigion last year; however, this was different.

This time Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan didn’t rely on a team-mate checking in late to secure victory – this win was earned on pure pace. Determined to claim the spoils on his own terms, the 2024 BRC runner-up delivered perfectly.

Swapping to a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 proved fruitful and, despite a star-studded BRC entry, Creighton was unstoppable, winning seven of the 10 stages to seal the win by 24 seconds from Keith Cronin. James Williams rounded out the podium with a solid run to third.

Creighton wasn’t the only one with a new steed. Four-time champion Cronin debuted a Citroen C3 Rally2 for his 2025 campaign but endured a slow start over the morning loop. With just 54 miles of closed-road stages through the Yorkshire lanes, the event was a sprint, leaving the Irishman with plenty of work to do to chase down Creighton.

Rain descended on the afternoon’s repeat run and, try as he might, Cronin couldn’t catch Creighton, and the 2023 Junior WRC champion was relieved to take that elusive ‘proper’ BRC win.

“I don’t know what to say really,” said Creighton. “It’s our first rally in the car, and we hadn’t done so much [in the Yaris] before the event and, with such tricky conditions, it’s just felt good.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect and how long it was going to take us to gain that confidence with the car. I’m just really happy and excited for what’s to come.”

Cronin was relieved to get some solid points on the board after a dismal start to last year’s assault, and Williams enjoyed a trouble-free run in his Hyundai i20N Rally2, nine seconds adrift.

Creighton’s team-mate Meirion Evans took fourth in his Yaris, with Callum Black rounding out the top five in his Ford Fiesta.

Estonian star Romet Jurgenson made his Rally2 asphalt debut and acclimatised impressively. Last year’s Junior WRC conqueror secured sixth in an M-Sport Fiesta.

The challenging conditions proved unforgiving for several key contenders. James Ford sent his Citroen C3 off the road on the opening stage, while Max McRae suffered a hand injury in a high-speed off. Garry Pearson held second overall before his rally ended abruptly with his Fiesta stranded in a ditch.

The Junior BRC battle, meanwhile, had a distinctly French flavour as each contender elected to use a Peugeot 208 Rally4 for their assault on the opening round.

Craig Rahill took the early initiative with stellar pace in the dryer morning loop, but his charge unravelled in the rain-soaked afternoon, with two spins allowing his fellow Irishmen a look in.

Kyle McBride got the bit between his teeth in the soggy conditions, overhauling both Keelan Grogan and Rahill over the closing stages to take the victory.