Armstrong, who’d taken his first ERC stage win on JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion the previous month, bagged two fastest stage times on Saturday’s opening leg before embarking on his Sunday heroics aboard the Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally2 he shares with co-driver Eoin Treacy.
The M-Sport driver’s final-day charge propelled him from seventh overnight to second at the Silesian Stadium finish – his first top-three placing in the ERC – although he could so easily have banked his breakthrough ERC victory but for time lost on stages two and three.
“To win five out of six stages on Sunday is crazy and the one stage we didn't win we were probably on the wrong [compound] tyres,” the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy-backed driver said. “It was an unbelievable day. To be able to show this pace is very good and I always enjoy rallying in Poland because I work so much with M-Sport Poland.”
Armstrong finished 1.5sec ahead of newly crowned ERC champion Hayden Paddon and 18.3sec behind Rally Silesia winner Andrea Mabellini.
It was the first podium finish on an ERC event for an all-Irish crew since Craig Breen and Paul Nagle claimed second overall on Rally Liepāja in 2021.
“It's nice that we have this result to bring to the bargaining table,” said Armstrong, 29. “This is right up there with some of my best achievements. I would say this is one of my best events I have ever done. We will remember this one in the future. I like the difficult conditions.”
He continued: “There is still a lot of experience to get for all the rallies but when it comes to Tarmac we can always be quite fast. Hopefully, this result puts me in the shop window again for next year. A full package again would be very nice. The ERC’s a brilliant championship.”
Five Jon Armstrong ERC firsts
First ERC start: Rally Liepāja 2015 (finished 12th overall, fifth in Junior ERC)
First stage win: JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion 2024
First event win (ERC3): Azores Rallye 2022
First points: Rally Hungary 2021 (11th)
First podium: Rally Silesia 2024
Estonia
Poland
Turkey