Irish Rallycross Championship front-runner Peter McGarry will make his FIA European Rallycross Championship debut at Holjes in Sweden later this month, in the final ever FIA event for the rear-wheel drive TouringCar category.
Competing at arguably the biggest rallycross event in the world, featuring on the same entry list as motorsport legends Petter Solberg, Sebastien Loeb and Mattias Ekstrom, McGarry will campaign PFCRX’s double-title winning Ford Fiesta, raced to European Championship glory by the team’s lead driver, Derek Tohill, in 2010 and 2013, in which time Tohill and the car amassed 25 podium finishes.
Having graduated from Production category success to more advanced rallycross machinery, McGarry has raced both front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars over the last five years in the UK and Ireland, most recently winning Modified events in a supercharged Vauxhall VX220.
The 36-year old, who has played a significant role in the PFCRX European Championship Supercar team as Crew Chief and Spotter over the last three years, made his inaugural appearance in the 10-time Euro RX race winning Fiesta TouringCar, powered by a 300bhp 2-litre engine, in the third round of IRX last week at Tynagh and finished on the podium in the Modified category.
Euro RX debutant McGarry will compete at Holjes alongside the squad’s regular Euro RX Supercar entry of Derek Tohill, the first time the team has run both of its C-Sport run Fiestas together at high-profile international level. Tohill and the TouringCar, nicknamed Sól, have good memories of the Holjes circuit, located deep in the Varmland forests. The pair claimed victory at the venue on the way to the 2013 title.
The 2018 event will begin on Friday June 29, with qualifying races held on Saturday June 30 and the finals taking place on Sunday July 1.
Peter McGarry | PFCRX TouringCar Driver | Ford Fiesta #111
“Entering this event is something the team has talked about ever since the FIA announced last year that 2018 was going to be the last ever season for Euro RX TouringCar. The idea grew legs and before I knew it I was applying for an international license and putting in an entry in to arguably the best European rallycross event on the calendar.
It’s a dream come true to be able to compete in Holjes, the holy grail of rallycross and along with that the opportunity to drive Sól, Derek’s double Euro RX winning car. I can’t thank Derek and the team enough for what is surely going to be a magic weekend.”
Derek Tohill | PFCRX Owner and Supercar Driver | Ford Fiesta #111
“Peter getting an entry for Holjes is fantastic news, where there’s a capacity grid of 20 cars entered for the toughest TouringCar event of the year. Peter has been fully part of this team for several years and he’s learnt a lot by being spotter for me, so I expect him to slot into a driving role with ease. He has been gaining rear-wheel drive experience over the past couple of seasons in Ireland with his VX220 and in a buggy, so he should be comfortable straight away. He just needs to enjoy the experience of competing at European level and if he does, everything else will work itself out. Sól is a very rewarding car to drive.
It’s exciting for both myself and the team to have a second driver involved, hopefully we can push each other along at what is for me the Holy Grail of rallycross, but also the toughest and most competitive event of the year. We have three weeks to prepare so now it’s time to stop the talking and do the very best job we can.”
