Cathan to hold ‘Court’ in Latvia alongside Johnston and Solberg

WHILE he’s not expecting to be challenging reigning champions, Fintona’s Aaron Johnston and Norway’s Oliver Solberg, at this weekend’s Rally Liepaja in Latvia, Dromore’s Cathan McCourt is certainly going to be making the most of the opportunity to drive a new car on the big stage.

This season was meant to be his first in the British Rally Championship but Covid-19 put paid to those plans and with events falling at regular intervals and with his right foot getting itchy, McCourt decided enough was enough and he put a late entry in for the second round of the European Rally Championship in Latvia this coming weekend.

As well as the highly-rated young crew of Johnston and Solberg, McCourt will be mixing it with WRC regular, Craig Breen, Mads Ostberg, Alexey Lukyanuk and Park’s Callum Devine.

“I’ll tell you one thing, we’ll hardly be up their street!,” he laughed. “It will be good to be lining up behind them but there is some entry for it.  There’s a good entry but I’ll not be putting my expectations anywhere near those boys, I’ll just be happy to finish! 

“I’m aiming to get home, we’re not going out with any expectations, we’re going out for a bit of fun, to enjoy it and to clear the head for a week.”

As if competing against some of the best crews in the world isn’t enough, McCourt will be tackling stages he’s never seen before in a car he’s never even sat in, with a co-driver [James Fulton] he’s yet to drive with and over longer distances than he’s ever tackled.

Regardless of those issues, the 2019 Irish Forestry Rally champion is looking forward to getting into the thick of the action.

FULL STORY IN TODAY’S ULSTER HERALD OR SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS A DIGITAL 
COPY…