Co Down driver William Creighton set to take the Junior World Rally Championship by storm
It's going to be busy year for Moira's William Creighton 🚗
2021’s Junior British Rally Champion, William Creighton from Moira, prepares to tackle the new four-wheel-drive Rally3 era of the World Championship with support from Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.
Alongside co-driver Liam Regan, Creighton will contest the championship which switches to the four-wheel-drive category for the first time ever.
The 2022 Junior World Rally Championship kicks off at the end of February with an icy battle on Rally Sweden’s snow laden stages.
The 24-year-old sat down with Cool FM and Downtown Radio for an exclusive interview ahead of the 2022 Championship series.
Having grown up in the country, on a family farm, the temptation to get behind the wheel of a tractor or quad bike was always there.
“When I was 11 my dad bought an old Ford Ka that was on its way to the scrapyard, testing it out across the fields gave me a taste for driving. I convinced my parents to let me try karting, which quickly became a competitive sport for me - I won the Ulster Karting Championship and Northern Ireland Karting Championship in 2010.
"With a couple of titles under my belt, I took part in the British Karting Championship, which is usually the first place a Formula 1 driver starts competing.”
In 2013, William swapped his kart for a rally car and he hasn’t stopped since.
“Last year we won the Junior British Championship, which was really special, we’d been competing for a few years, and we were runners up twice, so to finally walk away with the trophy was a nice feeling. It’s a prestigious award, so to have my name on it means a lot to me.
“The last round of the Championship was actually held in Newry last year. I had a lot of friends, family and home support, there was lots of pressure but that just makes the win so much sweeter.”
Looking ahead to 2022
“I’m super excited to get the 2022 season underway, last year was my first time in the World Championship, so I can bring that knowledge and confidence into this year. I know what it’s like now to take part in week-long events, how to prepare in different climates and how to plan ahead of the season.”
A lot of William’s training is alongside the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. “This was set up a few years ago to help improve young and upcoming drivers in Ireland. I’ve been so lucky to work with the guys there, they cover everything from fitness to sports psychology. I feel well prepared for the year ahead and ready to get stuck in.
The Junior World Rally Championship (WRC) consists of five-rounds, starting in Sweden in the snow, then Croatia, Portugal, Estonia, and then Greece at the end of the year.
Each event has its own characteristics and its own challenges so to win the Championship you must drive fast on each element.
“All of the drivers are in a Fiesta Rally 3, that’s a four-wheel drive Ford Fiesta. It must be serviced and maintained by MSport Poland, so each driver has the same team, therefore it’s really down to the skill of the drivers and co-drivers to see who comes out on top.”
When asked which event he’s most excited to compete in this year, William is torn between WRC Sweden and WRC Portugal.
“I’ve never competed in Sweden before; the stages are 100% snow so it’s completely new to us. All the cars will be fitted with studded tyres, it’s going to be a new sensation to drive flat out in the Swedish forests on the snow, but I think it’s going to be so exciting. At the same time, we get to return to Portugal in the summer. I competed there last year, my pace was great until we had some mechanical issues, so I’m looking forward to getting another shot at it. Plus, the weather is always nice, and the fans are super enthusiastic there.”
You can stay up to date with William on his Junior WRC journey on his social media throughout the year.
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