MacHale wins Sligo rally

Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Ford Focus WRC) won the Sligo Rally, round seven of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

They finished four seconds in front of the Toyota Corolla WRC of Charlie Donnelly/Herbie Blackburn.

Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Subaru WRC) were third.

It was MacHale’s fourth victory in succession and he is hot favourite to win his maiden Dunlop national title.

Ian Barrett/Eoin O’Flaherty (Subaru) won Group N.

Gary McPhillips/Mark Tierney (Escort) won the two-wheel drive category.

Sean Devine led initially but he spun his Subaru WRC on the second test and MacHale took up the lead role.

It was a position he never relinquished even though reigning Dunlop champion Charlie Donnelly gave him a tough time on a number of stages and entering the final stage, was only two seconds behind.

However, MacHale rose to the challenge and finished with a four second victory.

Third placed Maguire (Subaru WRC) had brake trouble towards the finish.

In Group N, Ian Barrett (Subaru) led after the first stage but Mike Curran moved ahead on S.S. 2 and looked set for victory until his Mitsubishi slipped off on the first corner of the final stage.

Barrett was best-placed to take the category victory ahead of Billy Coleman award winner, Owen Murphy (Mitsubishi).

Brian O’Mahony (Renault Clio) who had to traverse the final stages with a broken damper, won the S16600 category.

Non-starters were Patrick Elliott, Glenn Allen, Hugh Martin Doherty and Seamus Leonard (Mitsubishi).

Michael Barrable, who withdrew his appeal from exclusion from the Raven’s Rock Rally withdrew from Sligo earlier in the week.

1. A. MacHale/K. Duffy (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 01m. 13s.

2. C. Donnelly/H. Blackburn (Toyota Corolla WRC) 1h.

01m. 17s.

3. N. Maguire/P. McLaughlin (Subaru WRC) 1h. 01m. 45s.

4. S. Devine/D. Connolly (Subaru WRC) 1h. 02m. 05s.

5. P.J. McDermott/S. Harris (Subaru WRC) 1h, 04m. 25s.

6. I. Barrett/E. O’Flaherty (Subaru) 1h. 04m. 25s.

7. O. Murphy/L. Brennan (Mitsubishi) 1h. 04m. 45s.

8. S. Feely/J. McGrath (Mitsubishi) 1h. 06m. 12s.

9. G. McPhillips/M. Tierney (Escort) 1h. 06m. 13s.

10. P. Kiely/P. McSharry (Mitsubishi) 1h. 06m. 32s.

Dunlop National Rally Championship (Provisional

standings after Round 7):

1. A. MacHale 116 points.

2. N. Maguire 103 points.

3. G. Allen 75 points.

4. K. Barrett 74 points.

5. P. Elliott 58 points.

6. M. Curran 68 points.

7. S. Leonard 59 points.

8. M. Barrable 54 points.

9. S. Gallagher & I. Barrett 39 points