McEvoy Motorsport & Flat 2 The Hat Modified ITRC
Aaron McIntyre and Derry Long claimed a hard-fought two-wheel-drive victory in their Toyota Starlet. McIntyre, who was making his Donegal International Rally debut, was third heading into Sunday’s six stages.
Usual modified pacesetter, Kevin Gallagher, had controlled the category up until his Darrian T90 slid out of a two-minute lead on Sunday’s opening Carnhill test.
That left McIntyre fighting for the modified lead against Ford Escort Mk2 pilot Gareth Irwin. A spin on Fanad Head gave Irwin a 13.8-second lead, which was only cut by 0.6 seconds on the next Carnhill test.
McIntyre went on an almighty charge over Donegal’s penultimate Atlantic Drive stage to claim a 10.2-second fastest time. His epic push coincided with two overshoots for Irwin, who in the end had to settle for second, 24.6 seconds clear of third-placed Conor Harvey.
Reigning McEvoy Motorsport & Flat 2 The Hat Modified champions Frank and Lauren Kelly fought back after a frustrating misfire on Friday left them outside Modified’s top ten. A string of top-five times put them into fourth, although Michael Carbin was less than a second behind with one stage to go. Kelly put the hammer down, setting the second-fastest time over his favourite Fanad Head stage to confirm his fourth-place finish.
Donegal International Rally Modified top five:
1 McIntyre/Long (Toyota Starlet) 2:33:47.6s
2 Irwin/McCauley (Ford Escort Mk2) +20.3s
3 Harvey/Doherty (Escort) +44.9
4 Kelly/Kelly (Escort) +1:22.3
5 Carbin/O’Sullivan (Escort) +1:24.8
Wales Motorsport Fabrication Historic ITRC
Donegal’s John O’Donnell and Paddy Robinson secured a dominant Donegal Historic Rally victory, controlling the competitive category from start to finish.
O’Donnell set the early pace with a 5.4-second fastest time over High Glen on Saturday morning. Nearest challenger Stuart Darcy dropped out of contention on the next pass over High Glen, leaving Meirion Evans, Trevor Wilson, and Michael McDaid to challenge O’Donnell’s BMW M3.
11 incredible stage wins from a possible 13 put O’Donnell’s Donegal crown beyond doubt, eventually finishing a minute and a half clear of Evans and Anthony O’Sullivan’s Ford Escort RS1800.
McDaid and Denver Rafferty looked set to seal third in Historics, but their Escort RS1800 failed to make it through Donegal’s deciding Fanad Head test, handing the final podium spot to Wilson and Paul Mulholland’s M3.
Hugh McQuaid and Declan Casey were over a minute further back in fourth, with Duncan Williams and Guy Weaver completing the top five.
Donegal Historic Rally top five:
1 O’Donnell/Robinson (BMW M3) 1:53:00.3s
2 Evans/O’Sullivan (Ford Escort RS1800) +1:33.6s
3 Wilson/Mulholland (M3) +5:31.3
4 McQuaid/Casey (Escort) +6:50.1
5 Williams/Weaver (Escort) +8:09.5
