Devine extends Rally of the Lakes streak in Killarney

Photo: D. Harrigan

Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan made it four wins from four on Killarney’s Rally of the Lakes courtesy of a superb drive on Sunday’s six stages.

The recent Circuit of Ireland winners had been as far back as fourth on Saturday afternoon before a string of top two times kept them in touch with their rivals at the rally’s overnight halt.

West Cork Rally winners and defending NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Champions Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin ran away with Killarney’s early lead. The duo were at their speedy best to secure three stage wins over the Rally of the Lakes’ opening trio of stages.

Cronin was looking comfortable with a 13.7-second lead but will have to wait another year to try to grab his maiden Lakes victory after rolling out of contention on stage four, Headford.

A resurgent Matt Edwards and David Moynihan put their recent disappointments behind them to set three fastest times on Saturday afternoon and lead the rally by 4.8 seconds heading into Sunday.

Meirion Evans and Ger Conway briefly held the lead after Cronin’s exit but succumbed to Edwards’ charge.

It was Devine, though, who had eyes on the prize come Sunday morning’s leg of Moll’s Gap, Ballaghbeama, and Shanara tests. Devine stormed to a 7.8-second fastest time over Moll’s Gap to move into the lead for the first time in the weekend.

Devine took another 6.2 seconds out of his rivals through Ballaghbeama before Evans set Shanara’s benchmark to put the pressure on second-placed Edwards.

The Killarney masters continued their Moll’s Gap and Ballaghbeama dominance on Sunday’s second and final loop of stages to bring their advantage to over 20 seconds with one stage to go. Devine and O’Sullivan cruised through Shanara to secure a 14-second victory.

A pair of second-fastest times through Moll’s Gap and Ballaghbeama had Evans and his local co-driver Ger Conway usurp Edwards for second. A final stage win for the Toyota Yaris Rally2 pilot ensured he took second overall, his best asphalt result since last year’s Donegal International Rally.

Edwards will be satisfied with his podium finish after a difficult start to the year. Second-place ITRC points will help his cause.

Eddie Doherty was never far off the frontrunners’ pace but found himself in no man’s land on Sunday, too far adrift from third and a comfortable cushion in front of fifth. The Kilkenny driver set four fourth-fastest times and two third-fastest times on Sunday to consolidate his fourth position.

It was a battle of the Boyles for Killarney’s final top-five finish. Michael Boyle and Dermot McCafferty started Sunday with a 24.8-second advantage over Declan Boyle and Patrick Walsh.

Michael lost the advantage to his Father with a 30-second time loss over Ballaghbeama. The Father-Son competitors traded blows over the next few stages, with Declan eventually sealing fifth by 7.4 seconds.

Rally of the Lakes top five:
1 Devine/O’Sullivan (Skoda Fabia Rally2) 1:48:15.7s
2 Evans/Conway (Toyota Yaris Rally2) +14.0s
3 Edwards/Moynihan (Hyundai i20 Rally2) +18.3
4 Doherty/Murphy (Fabia) +42.7
5 Boyle/Walsh (Fabia) +2:35.9

McEvoy Motorsport Modified ITRC

Rob Duggan once again proved he is as quick as you get in Killarney, taking a 51.5-second Modified victory and a sensational seventh overall.

Duggan and co-driver John McCarthy went fastest on all but two of the nine Saturday stages to build a one-minute, 21.7-second lead over Kerry rival Colin O’Donoghue.

O’Donoghue was on a mission on Sunday, managing to win four of the six stages but it wasn’t enough to disrupt Duggan’s Modified lead. The latter’s renowned abilities over Moll’s Gap came to the fore as he dominated both passes, setting an incredible sixth overall time on Sunday’s opener.

Damian Toner and Aodhan Gallagher inherited third when Denis Hickey dropped three minutes on Killarney’s penultimate Ballaghbeama test. Toner had been coming under pressure from Conor Shanahan throughout Sunday’s stages with the drifter reducing Toner’s advantage to 1.2 seconds with one stage to go. Toner, who leads ITRC’s Modified standings, responded on Shanara to keep Shanahan at bay and secure third by 5.4 seconds.

Vincent O’Shea and Eoin O’Donoghue completed the top five in their Darrian T90.

Rally of the Lakes Modified top five:
1 Duggan/McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2) 1:53:28.0s
2 O’Donoghue/O’Donoghue (Escort) +51.5s
3 Toner/Gallagher (Escort) +3:56.2
4 Shanahan/Hayes (Toyota Starlet) +4:01.6
5 O’Shea/O’Donoghue (Darrian T90) +4:57.3

Wales Motorsport Fabrication Historic ITRC

Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy were another duo to utilise Moll’s Gap to their advantage as they overhauled overnight Historic leaders Meirion Evans and Anthony O’Sullivan on Sunday’s opening test. Ring wrung the neck out of his BMW M3 to set a fastest time over Moll’s Gap, going 16.4 seconds faster than Evans’ Ford Escort RS1800.

The local driver extended his lead on Ballaghbeama before Evans responded with his own stage win on Shanara. It wasn’t enough to unsettle Ring, though, who repeated his Moll’s Gap and Ballaghbeama mastery, eventually sealing a 30-second victory over Evans and O’Sullivan, who strengthened their Wales Motorsport Fabrication Historic ITRC title tilt.

John O’Donnell completed the top three in his M3. The Donegal driver had led the category early on despite his M3 dropping a cylinder. He edged to within 6.3 seconds of second-placed Evans after a fastest time through Ballaghbeama but an overshoot and stall on Shanara undid his earlier progress.

Fergus O’Meara and Brian Duggan capped off their fourth-place finish with a stage win on Killarney’s Shanara finale with Phil Rogers and Tommy Hayes taking a brilliant fifth.

Rally of the Lakes Historic top five:
1 Ring/Deasy (BMW M3) 2:00:26.3s
2 Evans/O’Sullivan (Ford Escort RS1800) +30.0s
3 O’Donnell/Robinson (M3) +1:41.0
4 O’Meara/Duggan (M3) +2:03.6
5 Rogers/Hayes (Escort) +3:51.2

Paul Browne Plant Hire & Civil Engineering Junior ITRC

Darragh Walsh and Gary Lombard took an impressive start-to-finish Junior victory in their Honda Civic. Walsh flew 15.7 seconds quicker than anyone over Moll’s Gap’s opener and his position at the front became a bit more comfortable when nearest challenger Ronan Dorrian stopped with mechanical trouble on Shanara.

Kyle and Aaron Browne pounced into second, extending their margin over Niall Gaughan and John McLoughlin from 0.4 seconds to 10.4 seconds.

Gaughan eked into Browne’s advantage over Killarney’s final loop but Browne did enough to resist the pressure and hold onto the runner-up spot.

Graham and Trevor Roche finished fourth in Juniors, ending the day with a fastest time over its Shanara decider.

Rally of the Lakes Junior top five:
1 Walsh/Lombard (Honda Civic) 51:34.0s
2 Browne/Browne (Civic) +23.2s
3 Gaughan/McLoughlin (Civic) +30.2
4 Roche/Roche (Civic) +49.5
5 O’Riordan/Radford (Civic) +1:46.7