Mixed fortunes for Irish crews as McErlean hits fourth and Armstrong forced out

Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne claimed their first stage victory in the World Rally Championship but were forced to retire on the next stage

The Irish crew of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) are fourth overnight in the EKO Acropolis Rally, round eight of the World Rally Championship. Picture: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool.

A day of contrasts for the Irish crews in the EKO Acropolis Rally, round eight of the World Rally Championship. From the high of taking their maiden stage (SS6) victory in a round of the World Rally Championship and holding third overall, Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne retired their Ford Puma on the very next stage. They will rejoin the event under Super Rally on Saturday. Meanwhile, their compatriots Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy, also in an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1, are fourth overall, their highest ever overnight position in a leg of the WRC.

It was one of Hyundai's better days as they stopped the usual dominance of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team and after Friday's six stages Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) is 9.7s ahead of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 of French ace Sebastien Ogier with another French driver Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 32.7s further behind in third and 27.7s ahead of McErlean/Treacy.

Neuville and Fourmaux were the respective winners and leaders of the morning's opening pair of stages. Overnight leader Ogier was the third different morning stage (SS4) winner - on the longest stage (24.18km) - to slot into second, 11s behind leader Neuville as Armstrong slotted into third - 10.2s further behind. Road position was all important as was tyre management.

Like his rivals, Armstrong (third) was trying to save his tyres. McErlean, who had a tyre delamination on SS4, was fifth - the highest positions of the season for the Irish pair.

Following the remote service Armstrong took his first WRC stage win, unaware that he had won the stage (0.6s ahead of Ogier), he said, "It wasn't a great run to be fair, I thought I was too careful. I just tried to keep it in the line." 

He remained third 18.9s behind rally leader Neuville and 9.6s down on second placed Ogier, McErlean continued in fifth.

Disaster struck for Armstrong with a double puncture, an oil leak and turbo issues leaving him with no option only to retire for the day. Oliver Solberg (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), who dropped to 29th with a second stage puncture, clawed his way back to ninth until he lost the rear of his car that became beached on a bank during SS7.

On his fourth place, McErlean said, "It's quite a nice position to be in. A solid day, we tried to stay out of trouble as much as possible. The biggest thing was to get some sort of a road position for tomorrow, I think that's achieved. Tomorrow's a new day and the biggest one at that."

EKO Acropolis Rally (Round 8, World Rally Championship) Loutraki: 1. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 1h. 26m. 48.2s; 2. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+9.7s; 3. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+42.4s; 4. J. McErlean/E. Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1)+1m. 10.1s; 5. M. Sesks/F. Renars (Ford Puma Rally1)+1m. 16.9s; 6. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 33.2s; 7. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+2m. 08.4s; 8. D. Sordo/C. Carrera (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+2m. 49.5s; 9. A. Mikkelsen/J. Listerud (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+3m. 10.6s; 10. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+3m. 13.1s; 19. J. Armstrong/S. Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1)+14m. 14.6s.