[WRC] FORUM8 Rally Japan 2024

[Morte66]

Still watching Japan 2023 replays. I'm up to Sunday morning and suddenly everybody is cruising to the finish except Katsuta. It's gone a bit dull. Well well.

Munster looking very useful in WRC2, which is a bit jarring.

[Steve Boyd]

And he's doing the Killarney Rally in a historic Toyota Starlet around the time of Rally Japan.

That Starlet might be old but it certainly isn't historic - it's got a 2.5 litre Millington in it!

[Morte66]

And he's doing the Killarney Rally in a historic Toyota Starlet around the time of Rally Japan.

So he's repping Toyota that week, then.

[Morte66]

Still watching Japan 2023 replays. I'm up to Sunday morning and suddenly everybody is cruising to the finish except Katsuta. It's gone a bit dull.

Yep, boring contest on Sunday. Promising roads though -- narrow and very slippery in some places. A bit of real competition in there on a Sunday could get dramatic.

The onboard video feed was awful for most of the rally, it broke up more than two average rallies. I want to think they'll do something to improve that this year, but...

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Rallying UK @RallyingUK

INGRAM: Chris Ingram Set to Compete in Rally Japan with Castrol MEM Rally Team.

British rally champion Chris Ingram, fresh off his 2024 title win, is gearing up to compete in the FORUM8 Rally Japan, marking the final round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship. Ingram will drive a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 under the Castrol MEM Rally Team, showcasing Castrol's iconic colours in this high-stakes event set in Japan's Aichi and Gifu prefectures.

🔹 Ingram, a seasoned WRC competitor with 22 rally events under his belt since his debut in 2013, brings experience from two top-10 finishes and multiple podiums in WRC2 and WRC3. The British driver is also a former European Rally Champion.

🔹 2024 has been a standout year for Ingram, with four rally victories and leading positions in every event he's entered, solidifying his reputation in British rallying.

🔹 This Rally Japan appearance will be Ingram’s first WRC2 entry with the Castrol Toyota and his first FIA World Rally Championship event in Asia.

🔹 Ingram's co-driver, Alex Kihurani, is familiar with the Japanese event, having competed in Rally Japan in 2022, which may provide an edge in navigating the local terrain.

Chris Ingram said: “To be given the opportunity to represent Castrol and its iconic colours and compete in Rally Japan in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 is absolutely incredible.

“Being trusted with this opportunity shows the progress the whole Castrol MEM Rally Team, Alex [Kihurani] and I have made in less than a year.

“We will remain fully focused on delivering an exceptional performance on what will be our first WRC2 entry with the Castrol Toyota and my first long-haul FIA World Rally Championship start.”

Donald Smith, Castrol Global Sponsorship Manager, said: “We are very pleased to announce that Chris [Ingram] and Alex [Kihurani] will be heading to Japan in the Castrol liveried Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

“Since we launched the Castrol MEM Rally Team earlier this year we have had great interest from the Japanese rally fans, and we look forward to bringing the team to Japan and engaging with the Japanese rally fan base.”

Ingram’s upcoming competition in Japan underscores his swift rise in rallying and strengthens the Castrol MEM Rally Team’s international presence as they look to make a strong impression at Rally Japan.

[Jarek Z]

Congratulations to Chris Ingram on winning the British Rally Championship!

https://britishrallychampionship.co....ionship-crown/
https://www.bbc.com/sport/motorsport...s/c93qqv75ge9o

So now he is:

★ Motorsport UK Young Driver of the Year 2012

★ FIA ERC3 European Rally Champion 2016 & 2017

★ FIA Junior European Rally Champion 2017

★ FIA European Rally Champion overall 2019

★ British Rally Champion overall 2024

Good luck in Japan!