William Creighton is the 2023 FIA Junior WRC champion with his fifth-place finish at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece enough for he and co-driver Liam Regan to secure the coveted crown.
25-year-old Creighton becomes the first Irishman to win the series since his compatriot Craig Breen, who tragically passed away in April this year, achieved the feat in 2011.
Beating the odds after retiring on Friday morning with radiator damage, Creighton rejoined the action on Saturday and climbed the one-make Ford Fiesta Rally3 category leaderboard, his mission helped slightly when fellow championship challenger Laurent Pellier was sidelined by gearbox woes on the penultimate day.
He ended the season eight points clear of Diego Domínguez, winner of this final round, while the disappointed Pellier finished third in the series.
Ultimately it was Creighton’s tally of 34 stage wins across the season, for which each was awarded a single bonus point, which proved to be the deciding factor. Dominguez’s total, in comparison, was just eight.
It has been an amazing feat for the Irishman as he’ll be looking to continue his career up the WRC ladder next year.
