The opening leg of Rally Japan presented a difficult day for the Irish competitors as damp conditions, tyre choice issues, and punctures hit the crews across the narrow mountain stages.
Katsuta and Johnston sixth after tough day
Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston ended Friday in sixth position overall after a frustrating day in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1.
The trouble started on the opening 12.9km Asuke stage (SS1), where the crew suffered a rear-left puncture. Katsuta noted they lacked information about a slippery corner.
Their fortunes worsened on SS3 at Inabu / Shitara when they went off the road in a damp section. On the second loop, a soft tyre gamble on the repeat of Isegami’s Tunnel (SS5) failed to work. Katsuta described the opening leg as one of his worst and most frustrating days.
Armstrong and Byrne hold ninth
Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne sit ninth overall after dealing with tyre setup and handling challenges.
On SS1, the crew chose three hard tyres hoping the asphalt would dry quickly, leaving them too cautious in the damp sections.
Armstrong clipped the armco barrier toward the end of the second pass of Asuke (SS4). A wrong tyre choice on SS5 meant their grip dropped off early in the stage, costing them precision, but they kept the car inside the top ten.
Puncture drops McErlean and Treacy to 15th
Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy are 15th overall after a mid-stage wheel change cost them significant time.
The crew made a last-minute decision to cross-mix their tyres before SS1, which upset the balance of the car in the sketchy conditions. Handling issues continued into SS2, where McErlean struggled to get the car to turn.
Their main setback came 11.3km into the second pass of Isegami’s Tunnel (SS5), where they hit a stone and suffered an immediate puncture, forcing them to stop on the stage to change the wheel.
Support categories
In WRC2, Yuki Yamamoto and Irish co-driver James Fulton hold a strong third.
“Strong opening day here in Japan, setting some good pace in the afternoon and happy to be sitting in a podium position after Day One,” said Fulton.
In WRC3, Northern Irish co-driver Allan Harryman holds third position alongside Greek driver George Vasilakis in their Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Kerry Motorsport News 