Kelly/Foley tops at incident-packed Mayo rally

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly and his Monaghan co-driver Conor Foley (VW Polo GTi R5) won a dramatic TF Royal Hotel/Casey’s and Mulroy’s Londis Mayo Rally, the opening round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Long-time leader Josh Moffett retired after the penultimate stage when his Hyundai i20 R5 stopped with an electronic issue and Warrenpoint driver, Peadar Hurson, who was lying third, rolled his Ford Fiesta WRC on the stage.

Clonmel’s Roy White and his Dromtarriffe co-driver James O’Brien, who won the Power Stage (final stage) finished 30.8 seconds behind in second and 38.3 seconds ahead of third-placed Cavan’s Gary Kiernan and his Donegal co-driver Ryan Moore (Ford Escort).

In wet and difficult conditions, Moffett (Hyundai i20 R5) secured the best times from the first and third stages — the second was cancelled. Former national champion Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC) slid off and out of the rally on the opening stage where fellow Monaghan driver Derek Mackarel was another casualty after his Vauxhall Nova aquaplaned, flipped over, before landing back on its four wheels. He and co-driver, Cork’s Grace O’Brien, were uninjured.

At the Castlebar service park, Moffett held a 7.9 seconds advantage over Donagh Kelly. Hurson was 6.3 seconds adrift and attributed some time loss on the lack of progress at junctions.

Another former champion Roy White (Fiesta WRC) had to sacrifice the use of the handbrake as it locked up all four wheels when deployed. Cavan’s Gary Kiernan (Escort), who was fifth, led the two-wheel drive category and Tyrone’s Niall Devine (Mitsubishi) headed the Group N contingent.

Incessant rain on S S 4 and S S 6 brought issues with vision as the wipers failed to clear the windscreens. For White, a puncture brought even more inconvenience while Kelly, who caught the ailing Fiesta reckoned he lost around 15 seconds and slipped to third behind Hurson.

By the final service, Kelly was back in second but was 21.6 seconds behind rally leader Moffett. Hurson and White, who was quickest on S S 6, were next. Kiernan continued to lead the two-wheel drive category, his lead margin over Bogie at 14.2 seconds.

Donnelly lost a few seconds when he was slowed by the Proton of Simon Chapman that had spun and stalled. Armagh’s Jason Black gave a steady performance to slot into eighth in a top-ten completed by the Escort of Mickey Conlon and the Mitsubishi of Niall Devine. Kelly went on to win after the dramatic eighth stage where Hurson crashed and Moffett stopped after the stage finish. White and Kiernan completed the top three.

Meanwhile, Glengormley’s Derek McGarrity (Ford Fiesta WRC) took a start to finish victory in the Bishopscourt Rally in Co Down, round two of the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship. He finished the six-stage event with a 10.8 second winning margin over the Mini WRC of Draperstown’s Derek McGeehan. Antrim’s Kieron Graffin (Ford Fiesta R5) was a minute and 24.2 seconds further behind in third.

Clonakilty’s Kevin Kelleher, on a shakedown for the West Cork Rally, was fourth despite stalling his Subaru WRC on the final stage.