IOAN LLOYD GETS PEUGEOT SPORT CALL UP FOR FRANCE
25 APRIL 2025 11:05
Rising Welsh rally star Ioan Lloyd has been given an amazing opportunity to compete in a round of the French Gravel Rally Championship over the weekend of May 2-4, after being invited by Peugeot Sport France to take part in Rallye Castine.
This year Lloyd, 22-years old from Llandysul in West Wales, and his co-driver Sion Williams are contesting the FIA Junior European Rally Championship in a Peugeot 208 Rally4 from Tagai Racing Technology (TRT) based in Hungary. The Junior ERC is one of the most competitive and prestigious junior rally championships in the world. Now, the invitation to compete in France adds a new dimension to their 2025 schedule.
The remarkable opportunity of a fully-supported drive on a round of the French gravel championship and the French Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup came as a complete surprise to Ioan, who was elated to be recognised with such an opportunity.
“It's the sort of phone call you dream of,” said Ioan of the out of the blue opportunity. “It's a great chance to drive a Peugeot 208 Rally4 on gravel the weekend before the next round of the Junior European Rally Championship in Hungary, when I will be back in my regular car,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd and Williams will travel to the south of France on Tuesday (April 29) and have a test on Wednesday before rally documentation and scrutineering on Friday. The French system then offers only one recce pass, in the rally car, on each morning of the two-day rally. Each days takes in around 40 miles of gravel special stages.
“There will be a lot of tough competition and the one-pass convoy recce is a new challenge for us,” said Lloyd. “The competition will be mega, as it always is in France. This is a perfect warm-up for us for Rally Hungary, and time on gravel stages in a 208 Rally4 the weekend before Hungary is just perfect. We're going to go and enjoy the event and maximise this incredible opportunity.”
For any aspiring rally driver, the chance of a fully-supported drive with a manufacturer is a dream situation. “I think it's come out of an accumulation of our success in the Stellantis Cup in the UK last year and our performance in Spain on the opening JERC event,” said Ioan. “We've been with Peugeot since the start of our main rallying journey so I’m really proud to be given this opportunity,” he added.
Ioan Lloyd is proud to be supported by David Byrne Auto Repairs, West Wales Rally Spares, Huw Jeffreys and Sons Plumbing and Heating Engineers, Suirway Forklifts, Towy Works, Mark Jukes Containers, Allglass Anglia, ARE Refrigeration and Electrical, 2300 Club John Easson Award, Towy Electrical Ltd, BCC IT, Wyn Thomas Heating, Peugeot Sport UK/Ireland, Motordrive Seats, Castell Howell Foods, Garej Tyn y Pistyll, Monit Motorsport, Solid Designs, Gomer Press, Atech Racing, A1 Detailing, Neil Spain, Mintex, Kielder WT, Gareth Owens Building Contractor, Safety Devices International Ltd, TRS Safety Equipment and Abba Trees.
The remaining schedule for the FIA Junior European Rally Championship is:
May 9-11 Rally Hungary
Jun 13-15 Rally Poland
Jul 4-6 Rally di Roma Capitale (Italy)
Aug 15-17 Barum Czech Rally Zlin (Czech Republic)
Oct 3-5 Croatia Rally
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