McNulty / Moynihan win Rally of the Lakes

Tim McNulty and co-driver, David Moynihan in their Subaru WRC have taken a thrilling victory in the 30th anniversary Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney.

Sun, 03 May, 2009 - 20:37

Tim McNulty and co-driver, David Moynihan in their Subaru WRC have taken a thrilling victory in the 30th anniversary Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney.

They finished 36.3 seconds ahead of the Subaru of Eamonn Boland/Mickey Joe Morrissey with Aaron MacHale and Killian Duffy (Ford Focus WRC) over three minutes further behind.

It was tight and tense early today and after the stages at Moll's Gap and Tim Healy Pass, a 30 second time frame covered the top four crews.

Leader Gareth MacHale was just 1.1 seconds ahead of Boland with Donnelly some seven seconds further behind. Fourth placed McNulty also planned to attack.

Remarkably, within a stage he had gone from fourth to first. Both Gareth MacHale and Donnelly crashed out on Cod's Head and Boland punctured his Subaru and lost over a minute.

Within one stage, McNulty had regained the lead that he held for three stages yesterday.

At the Castletownbere service, he had a 28.5 second advantage over Boland with Aaron MacHale a distant third having lost over two minutes with a puncture.

McNulty punched in quickest times on Stages 12 and 13 and eased off on the final stage to take victory, his second in Killarney.

Boland and Aaron MacHale completed the top three.

Denis Cronin's Subaru was fourth and Alan Ring in a Mitsubishi won Group N, he was followed by fellow Group N drivers, Colm Murphy and Alastair Fisher.

Wesley Patterson (Escort) won the National rally; Damien McCarthy won the Junior category and Denis Moynihan (Escort) emerged victorious in the Historic section.

1. T. McNulty/D. Moynihan (Subaru WRC) 2h.04m.52.5s.

2. E. Boland/MJ Morrissey (Subaru WRC) 2h. 05m. 28.8s.

3. A. MacHale/K. Duffy (Ford Focus WRC) 2h. 08m. 36.9s.

4. D. Cronin/H. O'Sullivan (Subaru WRC) 2h. 10m. 26.5s.

5. A. Ring/A. Deasy (Mitsubishi) 2h. 12m. 53.1s.

6. C. Murphy/M. Flannery (Subaru) 2h. 14m. 56.9s.

7. A. Fisher/B. McNulty (Mitsubishi) 2h. 15m. 36.7s.

8. D. O'Riordan/S. McCarthy (Renault Clio S1600) 2h. 16m. 14.5s.

9. S. Gallagher/J. McKee (Mitsubishi) 2h. 18m. 30.8s.

10. E. Doyle/P. Brennan (Subaru) 2h. 19m. 30.4s.

NATIONAL RALLY:

1. W. Patterson/M. McGarrity (Ford Escort) 2h. 16m. 53.5s.