Creighton back for third Junior WRC attack

The Irishman finished fifth in the ultra-competitive series last season after bookending his year with podiums in Sweden and Greece. 

Before the championship kicks off at Rally Sweden (9 - 12 February), however, Creighton is gearing up to make a one-off appearance at Rallye Monte-Carlo (19 - 22 January) in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2. 

Next week’s fixture will be his second time participating in a WRC round in the car, made possible by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.

"I didn't finish last year thinking, right, I need to work to get towards Monte. It wasn't really on my radar," Creighton said. “It’s a bucket-list event and something I’m really looking forward to, as you can imagine. 

"Never did I think I'd be going into my third year in the Junior WRC, or starting off in Monte-Carlo with a Rally2 car. It's crazy where things take you and I owe a huge thanks to all the people who've supported me - especially the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.

"But Sweden is, let’s say, a lot more simple,” he explained, referencing his previous experience on the snowy speed tests around Umeå.

“It's only the second year the rally has been based in Umeå. I’ve looked at the videos and I think the organisers have changed about four of the stages to new stages and then the rest is the same, so it didn't take long to figure out which stages I've done before."

Creighton added that he feels prepared for the upcoming season, thanks in part to the knowledge he's gained over the past two years in Junior WRC. 

"We're always improving rather than going the other way, so I feel like we're as prepared as we will ever be really to go into the season.”

There is, however, a small sense of urgency radiating from the 25-year-old as he admits that this year could be his last chance to make a real push for the Junior WRC title.

"I'm still young, but I feel like I've done two years now as an apprenticeship in the Junior WRC and I've learned and improved quite a lot. There's definitely more to improve on, but I feel comfortable that this is the year that I can try and go and give it my all and give an attack.

“Again, like I said about the experience thing, we've done most of the events and we can only get quicker. I feel we’re as prepared as we can be to have a good push.”

The full 2023 FIA Junior WRC line-up will be revealed upon publication of the Rally Sweden entry list this Friday (13 January).