McErlean claims career-best finish at Acropolis Rally
It was a wild ride for Josh McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy in Greece. The pair fought through three days of unforgiving gravel, intense heat, and constant danger to bring their Ford Puma Rally1 home to a sixth-place finish. While they originally crossed the line in fourth, a post-rally one-minute penalty—stemming from a moment on SS16 where Treacy had to refasten his belts after an off—dropped them to sixth. Even so, this is a massive milestone as their best result in the WRC.
The drama peaked on Sunday’s second pass of Aghii Theodori when the machine slid off the road and got stuck on a bank. McErlean admitted he thought the result was lost, but he managed to rock the car free and fight back. It was a beautiful display of composure after a frustrating start to the season.
Looking back at his recent pace against Kris Meeke at the Donegal International Rally, McErlean clearly found the confidence needed to perform on the world stage. As he noted, this is a sport defined by results, and this performance in the Ford Puma proves he has the speed and the nerve to deliver when it counts.
