Stafford rules Raven’s Rock

On what was his first rally in over eight months, Wexford’s James Stafford, in his rear wheel drive Darrian T90 GTR, took a well-earned victory in the Kilkenny-based Raven’s Rock Rally.

Stafford led from the start and after the day’s nine stages, finished 34 seconds ahead of the Ford Focus WRC of Galway’s JJ Fleming, with Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC) 18 seconds further behind in third. One of the standout performances was that of West Cork driver, Damien McCarthy, who brought his 1600cc Honda Civic home in fourth.

The Group N category was won by Graham Scanlon (Subaru). Non-starters included Denis Cronin, his Subaru sidelined prior to the start due to a throttle pump failure. Eoin Doyle (Ford Focus WRC) and the Escort pair Neil Williams and James Coleman withdrew on Saturday.