IOAN Lloyd and co-driver Sion Williams are gearing up for a pivotal challenge on Rally Poland this weekend (June 13-15), the third round of the FIA Junior European Rally Championship.

After showcasing impressive front-running pace in the opening two rounds, the young Welsh crew is determined to secure a strong finish on what promises to be another demanding event.

Lloyd, 22, from Llandysul and his co-driver Williams, are contesting the high-profile international series in a Peugeot 208 Rally4 prepared by the Hungarian-based Tagai Racing Technology (TRT).

The Junior ERC is widely recognised as one of the most competitive and prestigious junior rally championships globally.

Before travelling to Poland, Lloyd took a moment to pay tribute to his former co-driver and friend, Dai Roberts, who tragically lost his life in an accident on the Jim Clark Rally in late May.

“I have a lot to be thankful to Dai for,” Lloyd shared emotionally.

“He was always really good and taught me different things with the car. We had a lot of good times together and I have a lot to thank him for in my early career, for sure.

“Dai was not only a world-class co-driver but also a very skilled driver in his own right, and that truly helped me in my junior days, especially once I turned 17 and got an Escort.

“We had probably one of our best results on Rali Adfer Coedwigoedd Cymru in 2020 as rallying re-started after Covid. I have a lot of good memories of rallying with Dai.”

Now, the focus emphatically shifts to Rally Poland, the second and final gravel rally in this year’s Junior ERC calendar.

“It should be a good rally,” Lloyd commented. “It’s quite fast in nature and the ground seems quite soft, so the ruts will be quite big on the second pass.

“But I don’t think it will be as rough as Hungary.

“Obviously, it’s my first time on Rally Poland and it looks like a really cool rally.

“I'm looking forward to it, and we’re going there on the back of some really strong pace in the two previous rounds.

“It’s unfortunate that we had the wheel failure in Hungary, as I don’t think that result truly reflects our progress.

“We’re certainly aiming for a strong run in Poland.”

He added: “What makes the Junior ERC so good is that there’s always strong competition. I have to try and remember it’s our first year at this level, but I also want to show some good speed and try to maximise the opportunity.”

After a team test session on Wednesday, the rally officially kicks off on Friday with the shakedown stage, followed by the ceremonial start and a super special stage.

Two full days of intense competition await on Saturday and Sunday.

Based in the town of Mikolajki in north-west Poland, the rally covers 120 competitive miles across 14 demanding special stages.

Ioan Lloyd is proud to be supported by a comprehensive list of sponsors, including: 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:

June 13-15 Rally Poland

July 4-6 Rally di Roma Capitale (Italy)

August 15-17 Barum Czech Rally Zlin (Czech Republic)

October 3-5 Croatia Rally