Maiden top flight podium for Johnston

FINTONA’S Aaron Johnston achieved the best result of his career on Sunday when he and Takamoto Katsuta finished third at Safari Rally Kenya, round six of the World Rally Championship.

The Japanese driver also earned a podium at the same event last year but this was his first top three finish with the Fintona man by his side and it was Johnston’s debut on the rostrum at the top level of rallying.

The 27-year-old co-driver and his colleague managed to battle their way through what was the toughest event of the season so far as the infamous fesh-fesh, wildlife, and rocks made life increasingly difficult for the crews. Add in a bit of rain, too, and the conditions turned Safari Rally Kenya into a war of attrition which only the toughest crews and machines would survive.

And it proved that Toyota’s were the best beasts of burden to be in throughout the weekend as, for the first time in 29 years, the Japanese manufacturer sealed a 1, 2, 3, 4.

In 1993 they sealed the top four spots at the same even and they repeated the trick over the weekend with Kalle Rovanpera winning, Elfyn Evans second, Katsuta and Johnston third, while eight time World champion, Sebastien Ogier was fourth.

Katsuta and Johnston eased themselves into proceedings with a sixth fastest stage time on the opening run and a ninth fastest time on the second, which left them eighth overall.

After that they started to climb the standings with three second fastest times, a third fastest and a fourth to finish the first full day of action second overall, 14.6 seconds behind team-mate, Rovanpera and almost eight ahead of Evans.

Saturday proved a particularly grueling day for all involved, with Katsuta and Johnston dropping down to third after an up and down first loop but they responded with third fastest times on stages 11 and 13.

Unfortunately they were held up badly by Craig Breen’s Ford Puma on stage 12 and lost over 30 seconds, which saw them drop to fourth overall. Fortunately, Toyota Gazoo Racing were able to appeal for them to be rewarded time in lieu of that disruption and they finished the day third overall.

Such was the toll taken on their rivals during Saturday that they began Sunday with a cushion of over a minute over fourth placed Ogier, who was over eight minutes in front of Thuerry Neuville.

And with Evans and Rovanpera enjoying comfortable positions in first and second it looked unlikely that anything other than a Toyota 1, 2, 3, 4 would happen.

None of the crews took anything for granted however, such was the car breaking capability of the remaining five stages on Sunday – the first run of the day was cancelled after Oliver Solberg’s car got stuck in the fesh-fesh.

Fortunately, all four Toyota crews, Katsuta and Johnston included, managed the conditions perfectly to finish in the top four and the Fintona man was able to celebrate his first ever World Rally Championship podium alongside his team-mates.