The tremendous behind-the-scenes work of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy paid dividends this week as William Creighton was crowned Junior World Rally Champion at the EKO Acropolis Greece Rally.
The result is even more significant as he follows in the wheel tracks of the late, great Craig Breen. Breen claimed the title for Ireland 12-years-ago.
Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan had to dig deep to take the title, lady luck did its best to conspire against them. This demonstrated the same determination that made Breen an enormously popular character added even more to their achievement.
Torrential rain in the days leading up to the rally brought a different complexion to the event. However, making it no less difficult, with drivers encountering a wide variety of conditions in the stages. From thick mud to rough and rocky sections as the weather dried out.
County Down-based Creighton entered the event as championship leader and title favourite. However with double points on offer and bonus points for each stage win. Any one of the top six drivers could have claimed the title.
Creighton’s title bid took a turn for the worse on Friday morning; when his Ford Fiesta Rally3 developed a cooling problem.
It was a serious blow ahead of the rally, Creighton wanting to get through the Friday leg without any drama.
Despite Creighton’s and Regan’s best efforts – they pushed the rally car for 3kms to avoid Super Rally but when the car would not restart at the subsequent tyre change zone it looked like their event and title aspirations were in disarray.
Their M-Sport Poland mechanics worked hard to get the car ready for Saturday. However, with Creighton’s main rival, Frenchman Lauren Pellier leading the rally. The recovery task looked insurmountable.
Saturday's Race
However, on Saturday, it was Pellier’s turn to hit trouble and he was forced to retire with transmission problems.
That gave Creighton a provisional one-point lead in the championship as the odds were slowly turned in his favour.
Later in the day Hamza Anwar rolled his Ford Fiesta out of the rally and Creighton climbed another position. Elevating his provisional championship position which was mathematically unbeatable, provided he could complete the Sunday leg.
On Sunday Irish crew did everything that was asked of them, including winning the event-closing Power Stage to claim the world title and the prize of a Rally2 drive in selected rounds of the World Rally Championship next season.
Creighton, who joined the Rally Academy in 2020, and the following year won the coveted British Junior title, praised the efforts of the background team that helped him claim the world title.
“We had to push like hell to get as many stage wins as we could, said Creighton.
“We started in WRC a couple of years ago, in the Junior WRC with a project with the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, It was relatively fresh at that stage now only a couple of years later look what it has produced, and for sure I can’t thank them people enough for what they have done”.
It was a very proud day for Academy founder and patron John Coyne.
“I’m delighted to be here in Greece to see William and Liam clinch the 2023 FIA Junior World Rally Championship”
Double Celebration
There was a double celebration for Rally Academy crews after Eamonn Kelly and Conor Mohan took second in the Junior WRC category in Greece.
Kelly ended the season in fourth place in the championship. Whereas, Mohan is the third-placed co-driver in what is their first full season competing at the sport's top level.
