Motorsport: McEarlean leads Irish challenge in Estonia
Kilrea's Josh McErlkean (Ford Puma Rally1) and his Killeagh co-driver Eoin Treacy hold eighth overall in Delfi Rally Estonia, the ninth round of the World Rally Championship. Pic: M-Sport Ford.
Kilrea's Josh McErlean (Ford Puma Rally1), who celebrated his 27th birthday on Thursday, leads the Irish challenge in Delfi Rally Estonia, round nine of the World Rally Championship, where he, along with his Killeagh co-driver Eoin Treacy are eighth overall.
Their fellow Irish teammates Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne are 10th.
The day really belonged to Finland's Sami Pajari (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) joint fastest on the morning’s shakedown; he brought that pace through to the day's seven stages with a clean sweep of stage wins.
Overnight, he's 14.1s ahead of his Gazoo Racing team-mate Oliver Solberg with Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux just 1.6s further behind in third.
Faced with the task of running first on the road championship leaders Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) are ninth overnight.
While McErlean had a solid run and was sixth after the morning loop, team mate Armstrong had a tough start.
He ran wide over a jump and finished the 21.45km test with a front left wheel puncture, he was eleventh after three stages as he made temporary repairs to the front wing using the radiator blanking.
On the morning loop, Pajari, on his first WR event since the Safari Rally, opened up a lead of 4.1s over Solberg, who claimed he wasn't as comfortable as last year (when he won the event) Fourmaux had a moment over a jump on SS2.
During the afternoon Pajari continued his fine form without taking any risks always seemed in total control except, as he admitted for running wide during SS5, losing fractions of a second.
His nearest rival Solberg just couldn't "get the feeling" from his car while Fourmaux (in third) was better pleased even though he didn't have the right tyre choice for the afternoon stages. Thierry Neuville, who was fourth, struggled with understeer and the balance of his Hyundai that felt good in testing.
Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris) ended the day in sixth and will certainly benefit from his start position for the remainder of the event.
There was huge disappointment for Japan's Takamoto Katsuta and his Fintona co-driver Aaron Johnston, they were sixth until their Toyota punctured on the day's penultimate stage that cost them almost 50s, they retired after the stage finish and will return under Super Rally but will now run first on the road ahead of Armstrong.
After SS7 McErlean said: "It's been a solid day from us. Some good splits, some good stage times. Plenty to work on for tomorrow. Nice and enjoyable."
Apart from the puncture, Armstrong was upbeat.
"The pace has been quite good, so from that side we have to be happy. Today were one of the best stages of the calendar and we had a lot of fun."
1. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 49m. 43.5s; 2. O. Solberg/E. Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+14.7s; 3. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+16.5s; 4. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+24.0s; S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+33.3s; 7. M. Sesks/R. Francis (Ford Puma Rally1)+44.7s; 7. E. Lappi/E. Malkonen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+46.5s; 8. J. McErlean/E. Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1)+46.6s; 9. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+49.8s; 10. J. Armstrong/S. Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1)+1m. 04.3s.
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