Outgoing champion Moffett wins, Boyle seals a third national title
Organiser: Donegal Motor Club When: October 13 Where: Ballybofey, County Donegal Championships: Irish National Rally Championship, Border Rally Championship and Donegal Motor Club Championship Stages: 9 Starters: 156.
Sam Moffett and Karl Atkinson recorded a start-to-finish win on a rain-lashed Donegal Harvest Rally as an off-colour Declan Boyle clinched a first Irish National Championship title in four years.
On his first outing since last month’s Sligo Stages, Moffett guided his Ford Fiesta R5 through some treacherous conditions to take top spot by 7.9 seconds from younger brother Josh.
Such was Sam Moffett’s dominance, at one point his buffer stood at half a minute.
Despite dropping to rear-wheel drive on the last stage before first service, Josh didn’t surrender too much ground, with second position returning another useful haul of championship points.
That still wasn’t enough for him to add the Irish National crown to the Irish Tarmac and Forestry trophies he bagged prior to the Harvest Rally, as he needed Boyle to finish outside the top eight.
The final spot on the podium was confirmed on the last few miles as Donagh Kelly increased his slim advantage over Joe Mcgonigle’s Mini Countryman WRC from 0.7s to 1.8s.
Declan Gallagher, at the wheel of a Toyota Starlet, was a clear winner in the modified battle, as Chris Armstrong sealed the National Rally Championship twowheel drive title in 14th overall.
Gallagher ended 20 seconds clear of Gareth Machale’s Ford Fiesta R5, and a further 17 seconds in front of Cathan Mccourt, who was making his R5 debut on Tarmac alongside Barry Mcnulty.
As low as 20th at one point as he erred on the side of caution, Boyle, who was recovering from a suspected tummy bug, charged over the afternoon stages to end his home rally in eighth.
“It has been a difficult year,” said the Ford Fiesta World Rally Car driver, who joins Niall Maguire in winning the Vard Memorial trophy for a third time.
Having burst a shock absorber on the opening test, Mitsubishi Lancer E10 pilot, Aidan Wray, produced a fine display to bag the Showroom Class spoils and sew up the National Group N title.
Sam Stewart and Martin Doherty came out top in the junior and historic categories respectively. Results 1 Sam Moffett/ Karl Atkinson (Ford Fiesta R5) 1h03m36.6s; 2 Josh Moffett/ Keith Moriarty (Fiesta RS WRC) +7.9s; 3 Donagh Kelly/ Conor Foley (Ford Focus WRC); 4 Joe Mcgonigle/ Ciaran Geaney (Mini John Cooper Works WRC); 5 Declan Gallagher/ Derek Heena (Toyota Starlet); 6 Gareth Machale/ Brian Murphy (Fiesta R5); 7 Cathan Mccourt/ Barry Mcnulty (Fiesta R5); 8 Declan Boyle/james O’reilly (Fiesta RS WRC); 9 Damien Toner/ Denver Rafferty (Ford Escort Mk2); 10 Gary Kiernan/ Ryan Moore (Escort Mk2).
Class winners: Keith Ewing/ Sean Quigley (Honda Civic); Alistair Glenn/ Lee Simpson (Peugeot 206); Ruairi Mcgarrity/ Martin Mcgarrity (Peugeot 106); Aidan Wray/ Kieran Mcgrath (Mitsubishi Lancer E10); Mccourt/ Mcnulty; Kelly/ Foley; Daniel Kelly/jalna Breslin (Vauxhall Nova); John Kelly/ Niall Kelly (Toyota Corolla); Lee Mclaughlin/ Christy Mclaughlin (Civic); Andrew Mctaggart/ Shane Mctaggart (Corolla); Michael Mcdaid/ Dáire Maguire (Escort Mk2); Paul Purtill/ Raymond Scott (Ford Escort); Gallagher/ Heena; John Ward/ Hugh Martin Molloy (Subaru Impreza); Brian Moore/ Lorcan Moore (Civic); Martin Doherty/ Darragh Doherty (Escort RS1800); Mcgonigle/ Geaney.