Armstrong and Byrne secure podium finish in Poland
With an impressive performance, Kesh driver Jon Armstrong and his Bruckless co-driver Shane Byrne took the final podium spot in the ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland that marked the midpoint in the eight-round European Rally Championship.
Onboard their Pirelli-shod M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2, they were second fastest on the Power Stage to claim an additional four championship points, and with a total haul of twenty-five championship points, Armstrong has moved into sixth in the series.
It was his second ERC podium (he was second on this event last year when it was a tarmac rally) and his first podium with co-driver Byrne.
The event was won by Estonians Martin Sesks/Renars Francis (Skoda Fabia Rally2), who finished a minute and 6.3s ahead of the similar car of ERC leaders and local heroes Mikolaj Marczyk/Szyman Gospodarczyk.
Armstrong/Byrne were 9.5s further behind in third having been penalised 10s for what was termed "chicane destruction."
Ninth in Friday night's super special at the Mikolajki Arena, Armstrong was only 2.1s off the lead and was up to sixth on Saturday morning's opening 16.3km stage and held the spot through the day's first loop of three stages.
He posted his best time (third fastest) on SS4 - just 1.8s behind the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of stage winner and rally leader Martin Sesks.
Quickly into the groove, Sesks snatched the lead from home hero Miko Marczyk on SS2 to open up a 9.3s lead over the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 of Roope Korhonen.
However, on the very next stage, Sesks made a braking error on a fast right-hand corner that resulted in his Skoda having a brief off road excursion and losing its front bumper. The indiscretion allowed Korhonen trim the deficit to 1.5s.
Unaware that he had actually lost the bumper, Sesks then established a 5.6s advantage over Korhonen with Marczyk third - 8.6s off top spot.
On the repeat stages, Armstrong was in fine form, another third fastest stage time - on SS6, he leapfrogged Mads Ostberg into fifth, and with his third top three stage time (on SS7) he snatched fourth from Isak Reiersen.
At the stage finish, he said: "It didn't rut as much, but I messed up the hairpin at the end. We were supposed to come out of it in second (gear) and we came out in fourth gear for some reason." Overnight, Armstrong was 8.7s behind Marczyk.
Meanwhile, in the Junior ERC category, Cavan's Craig Rahill (Peugeot 208 Rally4) was the top Irish driver, he occupied fourth place - just 3s behind the similar car of Welsh ace Ioan Lloyd.
On Sunday's final leg, Armstrong punched in the best time on the day's second stage where pre-event series leader Finland's Roope Korhonen rolled his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 out of second place and the rally. Following the Finnish driver's demise, stage winner Armstrong moved into third after SS10. Then, having closed to within 6.2s of Marczyk on SS11, he incurred a 10s penalty for "deconstructing" a chicane on SS12.
He didn't allow it deflect his concentration and was second fastest on the remaining two stages to secure his best result of the year. "My first podium on gravel. Great weekend, Shane (Byrne) and the team did a great job. It's been a bit of a bleak year so far in terms of results, so really happy with this."
In the Junior ERC Rahill, who had closed to within 1.8s of Lloyd on SS9 retired a stage later when his Peugeot 208 Rally4 slid wide and broke a driveshaft. In a fluctuating leaderboard where Swedish winner Calle Carlberg (Opel Corsa Rally4) was the only constant, Galway's Aoife Raftery, who began the day in ninth, ended up fourth with Leitrim's Keelan Grogan slipping to eighth, both in Peugeot 208 Rally4's.
Belfast's Charlie Eastwood was a member of the TF Sport team along with Angolan-Portuguese driver Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy (Belgium) that netted third place in the LMGT3 category in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the LMP2 category, the RLR Msport team (owned by Corkonian Patrick Cullen and included his son Ryan) were twelfth.
ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland (Round 4, European Rally Championship) Mikolajki: 1. M. Sesks/R. Francis (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) 1h. 37m. 56.4s; 2. M. Marczyk/S. Gospodarczyk (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+1m. 06.3s; 3. J. Armstrong/S. Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 15.8s; 4. I. Reiersen /S. Gustavsson (Skoda Fabia RS)+ 1m. 37.9s; 5. M. Ostberg/G. Bernacchini (Citroen C3 Rally2)+1m. 54.9s; 6. S. Tempestini/I. Simone (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+2m. 34.4s; 7. M. Johansson/J. Gronvall (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+2m. 38.3s; 8. A. Mabellini/V. Lenzi (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+2m. 49.6s; 9. J. Matulka/D. Syty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+3m. 32.2s; 10. K. Bubik/A. Sadowski (Skoda Fabia R5)+4m. 56.7s.
European Rally Championship (Positions after Round 4): 1. M. Marczyk 81pts; 2. M. Ostberg 65pts; Roope Korhonen 60pts; Isak Reiersen 60pts; Andrea Mabellini 60pts; 6.
Jon Armstrong 46pts; 7. Mille Johansson 41pts.
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