Declan Boyle looks to defend title in Donegal

The Joule Donegal International Rally that begins this afternoon is the best-supported event within the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship and also the only three-day event in Irish rallying.

Its popularity is built on tradition and the quality of the stages, and victory in Donegal is regarded as a major achievement.

Last year’s winner and local hero Declan Boyle wheels out his state-of-the-art Ford Fiesta WRC as he becomes the first privateer to drive the car in Ireland as he heads a capacity entry with several more crews on reserve.

Last season he annexed both the Tarmac and National titles including a famous inaugural Donegal International win. Both championship titles are now out of reach mainly due to transmission woes and punctures that blighted outings in both championships.

Such troubles were the catalyst that prompted him to purchase the M-Sport built Fiesta WRC.

The fact that the car is left-hand drive – a first time experience for Boyle - will provide an extra hurdle in Letterkenny and it remains to be seen if the pre-event testing has yielded the right settings for the vagaries of the Donegal terrain.

Opposition - even within a local context is tough with the in-form and fellow countyman Donagh Kelly lining up behind Boyle.

In many ways Kelly’s form replicates what Boyle enjoyed last year and the previous year as he (Kelly) has won all but one of the events he has contested this year.

Three wins in the Irish Tarmac Championship – Galway, West Cork and Killarney has provided him with the perfect opportunity to win the series. With the Moffett brothers Sam and Josh - his closest rivals in the series – not competing in Donegal, he can bolster his ITC bid. Yet, that’s unlikely to be on his mind and as with many other drivers, victory in Donegal is viewed as a standalone feat, indeed, he could even sacrifice an ITC crown for such an honour.

Former Donegal winner Garry Jennings hasn’t competed in the championship since Galway but he should be a major force over the 20 stages between this afternoon and Sunday evening. The Fermanagh man is happy with a recent test and his S12B Subaru WRC should be very competitive.

Antrim’s Derek McGarrity in an S14 Subaru WRC lines up at number four while Cork’s Darragh O’Riordan (Ford Fiesta WRC) will aim for a repeat of his best result in the North-West, third in 2011.

Omagh’s Seamus Leonard in a McKinstry hired S14 Subaru WRC could be the one driver to make it difficult for Boyle, Kelly and Jennings, who are seen as the ones most likely to win.

Others in the top 10 are Donegal’s PJ McDermott (Subaru), Monaghan’s Stephen Wright (Ford Fiesta R5), Martin Doherty (Mitsubishi) and Tommy Doyle (Skoda Fabia S2000). Wright and Doyle should have a keen battle.

Meanwhile, Doherty should be the pacesetter in Group N, where the opposition includes ITC category leader Aaron MacHale (Mitsubishi EvoIX), Brendan Cumiskey (Subaru) and Aidan Wray (Mitsubishi EvoIX).

The Modified section is a hotbed of quality with Mk. 2 Escorts in the hands of Gary McPhillips, David Bogie, Wesley Patterson, Brian Brogan, Phil Collins, Manus Kelly, Frank Kelly and Michael Dunlop. Yet, they could all be trumped by the spectacular Declan Gallagher in his Toyota Starlet. Monaghan’s Daniel McKenna was due to drive the Toyota GT86 that Gallagher campaigned in rounds of the Triton Showers national series, but the car was damaged and he has withdrawn.

Following the start at the An Grianan Theatre there are six stages this afternoon including a double run of Letterleague, classics like Knockalla, Fanad Head and Atlantic Drive await tomorrow and Sunday.

Although European Rally Championship leader Craig Breen has withdrawn from today’s Donegal International Rally where he was due to drive a Mk. 2 Ford Escort, he will compete in the Orchard Motorsport Lurgan Park Rally.

He will campaign the 2.5 Millington-engined Escort normally driven by James Coleman, one of his long-time sponsors. The top seeds for “The Park” are Garry Jennings, Kenny McKinstry, Derek McGarrity and Kevin Kelleher all in Subaru WRC’s.

In motor racing, Cork’s Matt Griffin and team-mate Duncan Cameron are back in action just less than a week after their disappointment in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They compete in round three of the Blancpain Endurance Series at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

On board the AF Corse-run Ferrari 458 Italia, they plan to extend their four-point lead in the Pro-Am Cup category, the six-hour race begins at 7pm tomorrow evening. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that their retirement from Le Mans close to the 18th hour was down to a fuel pick-up issue, the third member of their Le Mans team Alex Mortimer was at the wheel when the car stopped.