Maiden victory for Boyle and McCafferty in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship

Battling through the slippery conditions of the opening loop of three stages near Rathcormac, Michael Boyle and Desi Henry then battled with each other when the conditions dried out and the speeds increased.

Donegal's Michael Boyle/ Dermot McCafferty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) took a dramatic late victory in the Cork '20' Rally, the final round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship after their long time rivals and then leaders Desi Henry/Andy Hayes (Ford Fiesta Rally2) retired on the penultimate stage following an off road excursion. Picture: Martin Walsh.

The Donegal crew of Michael Boyle and Dermot McCafferty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) netted their maiden victory in a round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship with victory in the O'Connell Group Cork '20' Rally, the final round of the NAPA Auto Parts series that was ultimately decided on its penultimate stage. In a thrilling contest, they battled with the Ford Fiesta Rally2 of Derry's Desi Henry and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes, who led by 10.2s entering the final pair of stages. 

Drama unfolded on SS14 when Henry/Hayes went off the road and into a field and although they got back on the road, they retired soon after. Slackening their pace on the final stage, Boyle/McCafferty went on to finish nine seconds ahead of the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Declan Boyle (Michael's father) and his co-driver Welshman Patrick Walsh. Tyrone's Ryan Loughran (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and his co-driver Dale McGettigan were 26.8s further behind in third.