William Creighton, the podium finisher in West Cork on St. Patrick’s weekend and the current Junior World Rally Champion is the latest signing for Déjà vu North West ’24. The 26 year old driver from Moira in County Antrim will be stepping back in time when he swaps his state-of-the-art WRC Rally2 Ford Fiesta for his Dad’s 1965 Mk 1 Lotus Cortina on the great rally reunion that will be based in Sligo over the 26-27-28 April weekend.

 

William’s prize for winning the FIA Junior World title last year was four paid rounds in the WRC’s Rally2 category with M-Sport UK, along with 200 tyres supplied by Pirelli. That programme has now been boosted by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy to all seven rounds of the WRC2 series and the six rounds of the British Rally Championship.

 

“2024 is going to be hectic. I will have already completed the Swedish Rally,  the West Cork Rally, the North West Stages, Severn Valley Stages and Rally Croatia by the time I roll up in Sligo in the Cortina. As a family, we really enjoy the Déjà vu Motorsport weekends. No pressure, no pace and time to take in the scenery. Quite a difference from the WRC!”, said Ireland’s rising star.

 

SLIGO CARS

On the car front there is plenty of Sligo interest.  A trio of 1275 GT Mini Clubmen cars form the 1960s will be driven by the well-known Sligo rally man John Armstrong and a fellow Sligo enthusiast Alister Kee, and the third Mini man is John Kelly from Ballyshannon. Armstrong and Kelly are regular Déjà vu Motorsport entrants in their distinctive yellow and black cars.

John Armstrong (blue & yellow jacket) with his Mini Clubmen buddies at Killarney Déjà vu in 2016.

Then from the Group B supercars of the 1980s we have Barry Foley’s fabulous Metro 6R4 and Ferlin Taylor’s Peugeot T16 replica. Tommy Mullen will be in his 2000 Subaru Impreza, George Sherlock his 2005 BMW M3, and Martin Reilly brings us into the modern era with his 2021 Paddy Hopkirk commemorative Mini, the car that carries the great Irish driver’s signature on its bonnet.

 

Barry Foley’s Metro 6R4.

All the proceeds from Déjà vu North West ‘24 go to the bereaved families of Gene McDonald and Daire Maguire, the driver and co-driver who so tragically lost their lives on the Sligo Stages Rally on Sunday the 16th. July 2023.

 

Déjà vu North West ’24 is supported by FAAC Simply automatic, Sligo Pallets, Devaney Recovery Services and SF Engineering and it is jointly organised by RPM Déjà vu Motorsport Ltd. and the Connacht Motor Club.

RPM Dèjà vu Motorsport contacts:

Alan (Plum) Tyndall 0044 7887827150 alan@rpm-motorsport.com

Alan Graham 0044 7802875808

 

Connacht Motor Club contact:

Robert Lyttle 00353 874184993 robertlyttle52@gmail.com