Down winner Greer back in a Fiesta for the Ulster after engine rebuild

Down Rally winner Jonny Greer is set to return to his usual Ford Fiesta R5 for the Ulster Rally, after using a Citroen DS 3 R5 to win the June event.

Greer drove a DS 3 R5 from 20152017 but switched to a Fiesta this year while waiting for the new Citroen C3 R5 to be released for sale later in 2018.

After mechanical problems with the Fiesta on the Donegal Rally earlier in June, Greer and co-driver Kirsty Riddick were forced back into a DS 3, but still beat a strong entry on the MSA Asphalt Championship event to victory.

“The Fiesta was meant to be at the Down Rally but we had an issue with the engine in Donegal and we sent the engine back [for repair],” explained Greer. “At the minute the plan is to switch back to the Fiesta [for the Ulster], the engine is due back at the end of this week.

“It’s good to have the option of the Citroen if we need to. With having driven the Citroen on the Down Rally I would be happy with it if we needed to use it on the Ulster. But the plan is to stick to the Fiesta.”

Greer still hopes to switch to the C3, but confirmed he didn’t feel rushed, and the car isn’t yet available. It is currently being tested by Citroen in WRC2 with Stephane Lefebvre and Yoann Bonato.

“We bought the Fiesta at the start of the year with the aim of switching to the new Citroen [C3 R5] later in the year,” added Greer.

“It’s still a bit up in the air, they’re trying to get some miles under the car at WRC level, which we’re happy enough with as our season is nearly over, there’s no real panic to have a new car now.

“We’ll try and get over and see the car. Because we’re that far into the season there’s no panic.”