Boland wins Galway Summer Rally

Wexford’s Eamonn Boland and co-driver, Francis Regan won the Athenry-based Loughrea Plant Sales Galway Summer Rally, in a Ford Focus WRC.

At the finish of the eight-stage rally, they were 11.9 seconds ahead of Ray Breen and Andrew Purcell, whose Dunlop points helped them to edge closer to the national title.

A puncture on the penultimate stage robbed Charlie Donnelly/Paddy Toner (Toyota Corolla WRC) of a possible victory, and they had to be content with third in this, the round eight of the Dunlop National Rally Championship. Finishing 17.1 seconds behind their Dunlop rivals, Donnelly/Toner move into second in the series.

Championship contenders Jim Harrison/Harvey Bell (Subaru WRC) crashed out on special stage two, they face an uphill task of winning the title.

The Group N category was won by Michael Curran/Fabian McShane (Mitsubishi), they extend their lead in the series.

1. E. Boland/F. Regan (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 04m. 13.7s.

2. R. Breen/A. Purcell (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 04m. 26.6s.

3. C. Donnelly/P. Toner (Toyota Corolla WRC) 1h. 04m. 42.7s.

4. N. Maguire/P. McLaughlin (Subaru WRC) 1h. 05m. 55.4s.

5. D. Cronin/H. O' Sullivan (Subaru WRC) 1h. 06m. 16.2s.

6. N. Redmond/D. Falvey (Subaru WRC) 1h. 07m. 27.1s.

7. M. Curran/F. McShane (Mitsubishi) 1h. 07m. 59.8s.

8. K. Barrett/B. Goodman (Subaru WRC) 1h. 08m. 03.3s.

9. A. Ring/D. Brannigan (Subaru) 1h. 08m. 46.4s.

10. E. Daly/G. Healy (Mitsubishi) 1h. 08m. 59.4s.

Dunlop Championship Positions (Provisional positions after Round 8):

1. R. Breen 138 points

2. C. Donnelly 101 points

3. 4. K. Barrett 88 points

4. J. Harrison 87 points

5. N. Maguire 79 points

6. M. Curran 70 Points.

Ireland’s Colin Turkington finished third and fourth in the opening two of the three British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill, Scotland.

Dubliner Gavin Smith’s best result was eight. The race winners were Yvan Muller, Matt Neal and Rob Collard.

Also in Knockhill, Damien Faulkner was second in the Porsche Carrera Cup.

Eoin Murray is now 29 points ahead in the European Alfa Romeo Challenge following his third and fourth place finished in Osherslebin, Germany.

In the German Formula 3 Championship at Lausitz, Michael Devaney finished fourth in Round 16.