Michael Boyle secures maiden victory at the National Rally Championship in Bantry

Most of the crews opted for a wet compound tyre for the repeat loop as conditions changed.

MOTORS: Donegal's Michael Boyle (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and co-driver Dermot McCafferty took a fine victory in the Bantry based Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally, the final round of both the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship. Picture: Martin Walsh.

Donegal's Michael Boyle (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) continued his rich vein of form to secure his maiden victory in a round of the National Rally Championship with an impressive victory in the Triton Showers season ending Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally in Bantry. Accompanied by fellow countyman Dermot McCafferty, they finished 18.6s ahead of the Citroen C3 Rally2 of Ballylickey's Daniel Cronin and his Castlemartyr co-driver Padraig O'Donovan. The all-Donegal pairing of Matthew Boyle/Michael Boyle (Ford Fiesta Rally2) were 7.2s further behind in third.

On the morning's opening stage near Dunmanway, top seed Declan Boyle was the first retirement when his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 flipped over on its side. In tricky conditions, local driver Daniel Cronin led initially but Tyrone's Jason Dickson (Ford Fiesta Rally2) was only eighth-tenths of a second off the pace and Michael Boyle a further second behind with Clonakilty's Cal McCarthy (Citroen C3 Rally 2) completing the top quartet. Having lost his rhythm at the scene of his father's (Declan) accident, Michael Boyle was very much in the groove on the remaining two stages of the loop to lead the Ford Fiesta Rally2 of Tyrone's Ryan Loughran (who was best on SS3) by 9.4s with Cronin a mere fraction of second behind in third. Matthew Boyle, McCarthy and Clonakilty's David Guest (Ford Fiesta Rally2) rounded out the top six.