Kelly/Flanagan defy conditions for Abbeyleix rally win

The new Triton Showers National Rally Championship got underway with the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally and victory went to Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) and his Derry co-driver Kevin Flanagan.

In wet and slippery conditions they prevailed over the Subaru WRC of Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy by a margin of 38.7 seconds. Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC) were 25.4 seconds further behind in third.

Kelly blitzed his way through the opening stage and was 13.9 seconds ahead of defending national champion Declan Boyle (Subaru WRC). The event developed into a battle between the Donegal duo. By the end of the opening loop Boyle had pared the margin down to 5.9 seconds. Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC) occupied third and Alan Ring (Subaru WRC) was fourth as the likes of Darren Gass and Garry Jennings struggled with misted over windscreens. Others fared worse, like John Stone, who lost time when he had to stop and change a punctured wheel and Frank Kelly (Escort), who crashed out. Roy White (MG ZR) withdrew after S.S. 3 with a broken cog in the crown wheel.

Boyle took the lead on the fifth stage but Kelly was still very much in touch. With Gass optimising the grip levels of his S14 Subaru, he dislodged Maguire from third. Alan Ring withdrew at the final service with a transmission related issue.

Maguire’s fourth placed was under threat from Jennings, who found a positive effect from changing suspension levels. Meanwhile Kelleher had a moment when the windscreen visor came adrift and tangled in the wiper blades. Luckily, the strong wind meant it was airborne relatively quickly.

In the two-wheel drive category the Escort pair of Craig Breen and Chris Armstrong had a fine duel with little between them.

The destiny of the rally was decided on the seventh stage where Boyle, who entered the stage with a lead of 12.3 seconds, lost over six and a half minutes with a puncture, he dropped to 26th before finishing 17th.

Both Gass and Breen bowed out on the very same stage with broken half shafts.

Kelly went on to secure the win but in terms of the Triton Showers series it wasn’t enough to give him top spot as Jennings, who finished second overall, gained three points from setting the fastest time on the Power Stage with Boyle and Maguire second and third respectively.

Maguire went on to finish third from Kelleher and Kevin Barrett, who endured two spins on the opening stage to finish sixth. Armstrong, who won the Triton Showers “Drive of the Day.” Also secured the the Modified category from Brian Brogan (Escort).

The top ten was completed by Brendan Cumiskey (Subaru), who fended off the challenge of Paul Barrett (Subaru) to win Group N.

The Cork crew of Vincent McSweney/Michael Kearney (Honda Civic) won the Junior category and Niall Keane/Conor Keane (Talbot Sunbeam) took the laurels

Meanwhile, Waterford’s Andrew Purcell and his Cork co-driver Liam Brennan (Mitsubishi) took a start to finish victory in the Fivemiletown Spring Rally where they finished 30 seconds ahead of the Antrim/Cork pairing of Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Subaru WRC).

Top seed Martin Cairns (Subaru WRC) retired prior to the first stage with mechanical troubles. Overnight snow made conditions difficult especially for Henry, who was first on the forest track. Purcell opened up a three second lead over late entry Enda McNulty (Subaru) with Josh Moffett (Mitsubishi) two seconds further behind. McNulty paired a second off the deficit on the second stage where Moffett retired with engine woes. Purcell extended his lead on the next pair of stages and midway through the rally led Gareth Sayers (Mitsubishi) by ten seconds.

Purcell went on to claim victory despite completing the final four stages without a clutch while Henry had four-wheel drive for the same duration and no power steering for the final two stages. Adrian Hetherington (Escort) was third.