Latest news with #JonArmstrong
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Motorsport: Struggle for Armstrong and Byrne at Royal Rally of Scandinavia
Luck continues to desert the Irish crew of Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne, who ended the first leg of BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, the third round of the European Rally Championship, in 12th place. Scandinavian aces, Norway's Eyvind Brynildsen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and Sweden's Isak Riersen (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) are locked in a tense tussle with the former holding a 5.1s advantage. However, three others - Roope Kornhonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Frank Larsen (VW Polo GTi R5) and Andrea Mabellini (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) are all within 22s of the lead heading into Saturday's final leg of eight stages. For Armstrong it was another day of highs and lows, from an impressive stage win on the SS4 to come within 9.5s of rally leader Brynildsen, further progress was halted just 3.2km into SS5 when he was forced to stop and change a punctured front wheel. 'We just went a bit too early in a corner over a crest and hit a bit of rock on the inside that was sticking out and I didn't spot it on the recce.' He added, 'These stages, you start going (cutting) more early everywhere because everyone is doing it and just end up seeing lines that weren't there when you started so we got a puncture and stopped to change it. It's frustrating." Fellow Irish driver Philip Allen (who won the qualifying stage) was only 6.1s off top spot before his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 went off on a slippery tarmac section some 8.2km into the same stage. To his credit, Armstrong made a good recovery on the afternoon's three stages and clawed back six places. Rain on the day's final stage made for a tricky situation. "It was hard to keep a rhythm, a bit too much sliding with the rain, let's see what tomorrow brings." Brynildsen moved into the lead after SS4 and while Mads Ostberg (Citroen C3 Rally2) occupied second from SS5, a puncture on the penultimate stage saw him slip to eighth - 40.1s off the lead. In a post on Instagram, Kris Meeke (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) has postponed his entry for the Donegal International Rally out of respect for his co-driver Brian Hoy and the tragic events on last week's Jim Clark Rally. Hoy was co-driver for Garry Jennings during last Sunday's Cavan Rally when the pair were injured in a crash. Eslewhere, the entry list for the Donegal International Rally (June 20/22) was announced on Friday evening. The top 10 is: 1. Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2); 3. Jon Armstrong (Ford Fiesta Rally2); 4. William Creighton (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2); 5. Matt Edwards (Hyundai i20 Rally2); 6. Josh Moffett (Citroen C3 Rally2); 7. Eddie Doherty (Skoda Fabia R5); 8. Meirion Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), 9. Sam Moffett (Hyundai i20 Rally2); 10. Declan Boyle (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2). BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia (Round 3: European Rally Championship) Positions after Leg 1: E. Brynildsen/J. Listerud (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) 47m. 59.1s; 2. I. Reiersen/S. Gustavsson (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+5.1s; 3. R. Korhonen/A. Viinikka (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+6.8s; 4. F. Larsen/L. Lundgreen (VW Polo GTi R5)+48m. 07.7s; 5. A. Mabellini/V. Lenzi (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+22.0s; 6. M. Marczyk/S. Gospodarczyk (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+32.4s; 7. M. Johansson/J. Gronvall (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+34.2s; 8. M. Ostberg/L. Karlsson (Citroen C3 Rally2)+40.1s; 9. S. Tempestini/S. Itu (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+50.4s; 10. S. Lefebvre/A. Malfoy (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+1m. 01.8s; 11. J. Matulka/D. Syty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+1m. 32.6s; 12. J. Armstrong/S. Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+2m. 18.5s.
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motorsport: Crunch time for Armstrong and Byrne in Scandinavia
Regarded as one of the fastest events, the BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia is the latest setting for Irish pair Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne, who need to garner some top points for their European Rally Championship bid. The 17-stage Karlstad-based rally is a familiar location for the 30-year-old Kesh driver, who made his Rally2 debut at this level two years ago. 'It's primarily on roads used every day, so they're very wide and compact. But you've got quite a lot of loose gravel on top, so you want a lower road position to avoid road sweeping. It's all about carrying your speed, getting your lines right and keeping your right foot down as much as possible," said Armstrong. The former ERC3 champion will take encouragement from his pace in Rally Hungary, where he was only some 10 seconds off the lead after five stages before two punctures dropped him well down the order. "When you've lost that much time, you just have to try to reset and get back to the front again, just try to keep your pace up.' Points on the board for Armstrong/Byrne will be important, especially after their non-finish in the first round in Spain. While they recovered to finish 10th in Hungary, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team crew will push the Pirelli-shod Ford Fiesta Rally2 to the maximum. Armstrong continued: 'Sweden's a different character rally (in comparison to the rough stages in Hungary) there will be lots of locals, but we have to give it a good go, it's my third year here, so I need to keep the right foot down. "It's not been a good start to the season but at least we have some pace. We just need some luck and a result and hopefully that will come.' Those locals include Isak Reiersen (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and reigning ERC Junior champion Mille Johansson (20), who has upgraded to a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 for his home event. Fresh from his ERC winning debut outing in Hungary, much is expected of Finland's Roope Korhonen in his MRF Tyres Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and his battle with championship leader Miko Marczyk (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and the similar car of Andrea Mabellini, Citroen C3 Rally 2 duo Mads Ostberg and Max McRae, Jos Verstappen and Simone Tempestini - both in Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars and inaugural Junior ERC champion Stéphane Lefebvre (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) should be interesting. Armstrong, seeded at nine, should be very much in the mix. Meanwhile, and in the absence of championship leader Cashel's Pat O'Connell, who is on a family vacation, there's a strong possibility that the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally series will have a new leader at the end of Saturday's Mayo Forest Rally, the fourth round of the championship. Tyrone's Jason Mitchell (Skoda Fabia Rs Rally2) is best placed to take advantage as he seeks to continue his good form having won on his two outings to date. He won last time out in Mitchelstown to close to within five points of O'Connell, however, given the shorter nature of tomorrow's event - just 45.16km - there will be room for error. Having made a good start, reigning champion Monaghan's Derek Mackarel (Ford Fiesta R5) has struggled with problems on his last two outings while Waterford's Andrew Purcell (Ford Fiesta Rally2) will be determined to turn the tables on Mitchell on this occasion. Others like the Tyrone trio of Gareth Mimnagh, Niall McGonigle and Stephen Dickson, all in Ford Fiesta Rally2 cars, provide the top opposition. The Mk.2 Escorts of Tyrone's Hugh McQuaid and Donegal's Damien Tourish are the top seeds in the two-wheel drive category where the Peugeot 208 Rally4 pair Cian Caldwell and Keelan Grogan and Jack Harris (Ford Fiesta) should make an impression. There are some twenty-six entries in the J1000 category led by the VW UP of Kilkenny's David Travers with a debut for former karter Meath's Holly Dunnion (Peugeot 107). The first of the six stages begins at 9.31am. Elsewhere, the Skibbereen Endurance Trial that has twenty selectives over the day has a 10.00am start on Sunday from the Carbery Rangers GAA complex in Rosscarbery.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Three punctures ends Armstrong's hopes of podium finish
Jon Armstrong had to settle for fourteenth overall on Rally Hungary, after three punctures ended his hopes of a podium finish. The Fermanagh driver was holding third overall and had just set his first ever fastest stage time on gravel in the European Rally Championship when he hit problems and plummeted down the leaderboard. Despite the disappointing overall placing, Jon came away from the event hopeful for the rest of the season. 'It was nice to be able to be on the pace right from the pre practice and the qualifying,' he said. 'I hadn't done a gravel rally since last July, so it was a bit of an unknown, but it was good to know we have taken a step forward there. "We knew the tarmac pace is quite good but we didn't know how the gravel would be. "It was just a bit frustrating whenever we know we could have been on the podium, because every stage where we didn't have a puncture, we had a top three time. "The fact the pace is consistently good is a positive thing to have. If we can just keep chipping away, hopefully a solid result will be around the corner.' Jon's early pace had elevated him to third place after four stages, and he followed that up with a joint fastest time on stage five, but disaster struck on the sixth test as he suffered two separate punctures. 'We had a strong first loop lying third,' he said. 'The first stage out on the second loop on the Saturday, we were joint fastest and we were closing in on second but then on stage six we got a puncture and stopped and changed it, and then got another puncture on the same wheel and we had to stop and change again. "The tyre starts to flail very quickly and you risk damaging an electrical component or the damper or the brake line, and it was still quite far to the end of the stage, so we had to stop.' That dropped Jon down to a lowly 25th, and his climb back up the table was stalled again on the final day with another puncture. 'It is based in a military area and the stages have a lot of bedrock sticking out and are quite rough,' he explained. 'We had another puncture on the first run through the power stage, stage ten. Again, it was a bit of bedrock and we had to stop and change. "It was all really done at that stage anyway, but it was still annoying to have them. It obviously affected our position.' Next up for Jon is the Rally of Scandinavia at the end of this month, quickly followed by Rally Poland, and Jon is hopeful he can turn his season around. 'If I could get a podium in Scandinavia I would be very happy, but there will be more Scandinavians turning up for that,' he said. 'It will be my third year doing it, so I have to use that experience and really go for it. Poland is a gravel rally, fast and more sandy, and is one of my favourite gravel rallies, so I am really looking forward to that. It is a great challenge.'
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Motors: Armstrong aware of tough task in Rally Hungary 'mini Safari'
M-Sport Ford driver Jon Armstrong is very aware of his task in this weekend's Rally Hungary, the second round of the European Rally Championship where he will be co-driven by Donegal's Shane Byrne as the pair bid to open their championship account. Having switched from tarmac to gravel last year and based in the city of Veszprém, it's the first of the three ERC gravel events for Kesh native Armstrong and his fellow ERC contenders. 'Rally Hungary is massively tough. It's like a mini Safari. Ok, you don't have the fesh-fesh but there's a lot of undulation in terms of jumps into crests and dips. You have a lot of bedrock so it's tough on the tyres. It's based out of the military area of Hungary and the roads are quite beaten up. The suspension is tested to the maximum.' Last year he finished eighth but will be looking to improve on that result. 'I will try to build on what we learned last year and continue to work with Shane (Byrne) building on some good pace on Rally Sierra Morena (opening round), the main goal is to get some solid points on the board. We are putting in the effort in the background, hopefully, it will start to pay off.' With 28 others in the Rally2 category, Armstrong has to be on the pace right from the beginning of the 13-stage event. Last year's winner Romania's Simone Tempestini (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) also knows how difficult the event is. 'There are sections that are open and wide where you can see what is ahead. But, at the same time, you really have to take care about bumps and stones and the really high speed. Then you go in other stages that are completely different with a soft surface and many surprises.' He is joined by his MRF Tyres team mate and 2023 FIA WRC3 title winner and reigning Finnish champion Roope Korhonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and Miklós Csomós (Citroen C3 Rally2) , who finished third last year. The experienced Mads Ostberg also in a Citroen - but on Michelin tyres — should be at the cutting edge as should fellow Citroen ace Max McRae, steps up to the ERC Rally2 category. Northern Ireland's Philip Allen (Skoda Fabia Rally2) is also competing. Following tonight's head-to-head super special stage there are six stages tomorrow and six more on Sunday. Craig Rahill, Keelan Grogan and Aoife Raftery are amongst the Junior ERC category entry in their Peugeot 208 Rally4 cars. "We got a taste for what the car is like on the Moonraker Rally, but altogether, we have very little seat time on gravel this year. Our aim is to find a comfortable pace and try to stay out of trouble." said Rahill. Carrick on Suir's Casey Jay Coleman (Ford Fiesta Rally3) is amongst the 13 strong ERC3 entry. *** Meanwhile, Cashel's Pat O'Connell (Ford Fiesta R5) heads the entry for Sunday's Mitchelstown-based Sean Conlon Memorial Tipperary Forest Rally, the third round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship. With his closest championship rivals Vivian Hamill and Niall Devine not making the long trip south, O'Connell has the opportunity to stretch his current three points championship advantage on the six stage event. Reigning champion Monaghan's Derek Mackarel (Ford Fiesta R5), who slid off on the last round, has a quick opportunity to get back into the frame. However, Tyrone's Jason Mitchell (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), Waterford's Andrew Purcell, Niall McGonigle and Gareth Mimnagh, all in Ford Fiesta Rally2 cars will not make it easy. It will be interesting to see how former Irish Tarmac champion Darren Gass (VW Polo GTI R5) will fare on what is a rare gravel outing. The top ten also includes the Ford Fiesta Rally2's of Clonakilty's David Guest and Northern Ireland duo Stephen Dickson and Martin Cairns. Tyrone's Hugh McQuaid and Donegal's Damien Tourish, both in Ford Escort RS1800's head the Modified category.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Armstrong ready to 'push' for European rally title
Jon Armstrong says he wants to "push" for the European Rally Championship (ERC) title after announcing a full campaign driving a M-Sport Ford 30-year-old, from Northern Ireland, recorded four top-10 finishes and earned a podium, second place at the season-ending Rally Silesia in October, in the ERC last was ERC3 champion in 2023, the second tier of European rallying, and is a two-time runner-up in the Junior WRC, which runs as part of the World Rally by Motorsport Ireland, Armstrong will be co-driven by Shane Byrne for the first time."I'm really looking forward to being back with M-Sport again for the ERC, we can now really build upon everything we learnt from last year," said Armstrong. "We had a really good end to the season, so hopefully we can work on the areas we didn't capitalise on last year, try to have a really good season and hopefully push to be in the championship fight."M-Sport team principal Richard Millener said it was a "huge pleasure" to welcome Jon and Motorsport Ireland back to the team for 2025."We saw some really positive development in his pace and maturity throughout last year in the Rally2 car, and I think we can set our sights on some top results from him and Shane this season," he and Byrne will start their partnership at the West Cork Rally from 14-16 March before embarking on their European Sierra Morena in Spain opens the ERC season in April before events in Hungary, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Czech Republic, Wales and Croatia.
