McErlean co-drives Rowley at Show-Me Rally in Missouri

Josh McErlean, a World Rally Championship driver, sat in the co-driver's seat for friend and sponsor Paul Rowley at the Show-Me Rally in Missouri, a round of the ARA Central Regional series. The event was a smaller challenge than the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 events McErlean usually contests with co-driver Eoin Treacy, but Rowley said it offered useful lessons.

Rowley, driving a Ford Fiesta R5+, said his aims were to reintroduce McErlean to an American audience ahead of next year's Rally US and to give him experience from the other seat. Rowley said he deliberately left McErlean to handle a puncture on stage seven and to build the itinerary, to see how he would react. The pair finished second behind Patrick Gruszka and John Hall.

Rowley said McErlean's confidence in his notes grew after a differential problem on the first three stages. Dust on the night stages also highlighted how precise pace notes need to be, the pair said.