Irish crew endure tough seventh round of World Rally Championship
It didn't take long for the Irish crew of Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy to experience the brutal nature of the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece where two deflations cost them time and places before they eventually finished the day in twelfth place in this seventh round of the World Rally Championship.
Overnight, Estonian Ott Tanak (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) leads his teammate French ace Adrien Fourmaux by just three seconds with another French driver Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 13.9s further behind in third.
Thursday night's super special stage in Athens was delayed for an hour and 23 minutes due to 'severe traffic congestion' on the road from Lamia to Athens where the transporters carrying the competing cars were caught up in the delay.
Tanak and Ogier set equal time on the 0.9-mile test where McErlean was tenth - 3.2s behind as the Kilrea driver remarked: "It will be tough on the mountains and really hot. I'll try my best."
Unfortunately, he didn't have to wait too long to find out when they were forced to stop and change a punctured wheel after hitting a rock - losing some two and half minutes and dropping to fortieth position on the day's opening stage. They arrived at the remote service (after SS4) in 17th place.
Out front, Ogier, who finished SS4 with a partial wheel deflation, held a 6.1s lead over Ott Tanak, whose Hyundai team mate Adrien Fourmaux was third. Neuville, who led after SS3, lost some 40s with a front left wheel puncture with little rubber on the rim at the stage finish.
McErlean's Ford Puma also sustained a puncture on SS4. "It's brutal but we'll keep fighting."
To his credit, the Kilrea man had his best stage result on SS5 (seventh) but his passage through the day's penultimate stage wasn't without problems. "We lost the read out (gear selection display) on the dashboard, I didn't know what gear I was in."
Neuville punctured again (on SS5) and had to stop and change the wheel before he ended the day with a stage win to slot into eighth - over two and half minutes off top spot.
A consistent Tanak moved in front on SS6 but team mate Fourmaux, who found a great rhythm on the closing stages, narrowed the deficit to just 3s and reckoned, were it not for the dust on the morning's first stage, he should be leading.
On his prospects, third placed Ogier declared: "I have nothing to lose."
Championship leader Elfyn Evans, who was sweeping the roads, was fourth overnight. Heading to the day's final stage the Irish crew of Eamonn Kelly/Conor Mohan (Ford Fiesta rally3) were third overall in the Junior category.
There are six stages today (Saturday) and four on Sunday.
EKO Acropolis Rally Greece (Round 7, World Rally Championship) Lamia:
1. O. Tanak/M. Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 1m. 25m. 07.4s
2. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally)+3.0s
3. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+16/9s
4. E. Evans/M. Scott (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 21.5s
5. G. Munster/L. Louka (Ford Puma Rally1)+1m. 43.0s
6. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+2m. 34.3s
7. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+2m. 38.1s
8. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+2m. 38.3s
9. O. Solberg/E. Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+2m. 48.4s
10. K. Kajetanowicz/M. Szczepaniak (Toyota GR Yaris Rally)+3m. 41.8s
11. G. Greensmith/J. Andersson (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+3m. 44.8s
12. J. McErlean/E. Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1)+4m. 14.5s.
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