Motorsport: Callum Devine storms to Galway International Rally victory 

Derry's Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and his Killarney co-driver Noel O'Sullivan took a start to finish victory in the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally, the opening round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Pic: Martin Walsh.

Derry's Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) stamped his authority on the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally right from the start. 

Leading all through this NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship opener and with a dominant display, he finished 37.1 seconds ahead of the similar car of Kilkenny's Eddie Doherty with Monaghan's Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) taking a late third place - 9.5s further behind.

On Saturday's nine stages around Headford, Devine was on the pace from the start, an opening stage gain of 8.7s expanded to an impressive 21.3s by the completion of the loop of three stages where the second stage (Kilbeg) was interrupted when Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 debutant Donegal's Eamonn Kelly crashed out when he slid off and hit a wall. Although co-driver Conor Mohan was removed to hospital as a precaution, he was discharged a few hours later. 

Devine had a close call on SS3 when he took a chunk out of the rear left rim, luckily it didn't deflate and he was still quickest. 

Michael Boyle was Devine's closest challenger with Eddie Doherty some 7s further behind. The third stage was also interrupted when Clonakilty's David Guest slid off and damaged the steering rack and steering arm, he re-joined under Super Rally.

Out on the second loop Devine stretched his advantage with Boyle continuing in second as Doherty closed the margin between them to 2.5s, the latter changing to tyres that he had used last season that seemed to suit the conditions better, he was the first (on SS5) to break Devine's monopoly of stage wins. For his part Boyle had stiffened the suspension for SS4 and SS5 but opted to soften the set-up for SS6. 

With an untroubled run and growing in familiarity with his new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 Donegal's David Kelly slotted into fourth followed by Donegal's Declan Boyle, who changed the springs of his Skoda for the second loop. 

Monaghan's Josh Moffett occupied sixth and tweaked the settings of the car at service after the first loop of stages as he took a steady pace in his new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Despite a trip to a hedge on the second stage, Gary Kiernan (Ford Fiesta Rally2) occupied seventh.

Devine consolidated his lead that stood at an impressive 42.3s at the end of the day's nine stages, describing the day's closing loop as tricky. Second spot was fluctuating between Michael Boyle and Doherty. 

A stage win on SS7 resulted in incumbent Boyle moving 7.2s ahead of his Kilkenny rival only for Boyle to drop vital seconds after his car stalled on the penultimate stage, Doherty moving ahead by 6.4s - Boyle trimmed the margin to 5.3s on the final stage. 

Moffett and Declan Boyle traded positions on SS9 as Kelly and Kiernan followed in a top ten completed by Shane Quinn (Ford Fiesta Rally), Tommy Doyle (Hyundai i20 Rally2) and Ryan Loughran (Ford Fiesta Rally).

Even though the weather was dry, conditions on Sunday's six stages that rotated around the village of Monivea, were even more challenging with mucky conditions throughout all three stages. Not surprisingly, Devine played a tactical role leaving his rivals to take the risks. 

It was Donegal's David Kelly that set the pace on the stages, his liking for the conditions transferred into fastest stage times on SS10 and SS11 and he duly moved up to fourth. 

Meanwhile, there was little between Doherty and Boyle, the former 4.4s ahead. The final stage of the loop (SS12Windfield) was neutralised when the services were deployed for a later competitor.

On the first stage of the final loop and in the chase for second, Boyle narrowed the deficit a mere 0.2s, however, his rally ended on the next stage when he was forced to retire with a mechanical issue. The pressure eased on Doherty and while Kelly moved into third - he was 21.7s adrift - his attention concentrated on keeping Moffett (only 1.6s in arrears) at bay.

That contest was decided on the final stage where Moffett admitted he pushed hard and while he achieved that third place, he was extremely lucky at one location where impact with the Galway scenery buckled the front left wheel of his Toyota but the tyre didn't deflate. 

Kelly, Declan Boyle and Ryan Loughran (Ford Fiesta Rally2) rounded out the top six as Longford's Shane Quinn and Leitrim's Keelan Grogan, Jersey's Sam Touzel and Cavan's Gary Kiernan, all in Ford Fiesta Rally2's filled the top ten places.

Dunmanway's Jason McSweeney (Ford Fiesta WRC) won the Historic category - 26.2s ahead of the Subaru Legacy of Waterford's Ray Breen.

Corrib Oil Galway International Rally (Round 1: NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship) Galway: 1. C. Devine/N. O'Sullivan (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) 1h. 45m. 24.7s; 2. E. Doherty/T. Murphy (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+37.1s; 3. J. Moffett/A. Hayes (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+46.6s; 4. D. Kelly/S. Buckley (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+52.0s; 5. D. Boyle/P. Walsh (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+1m. 14.3s; 6. R. Loughran/D. McGettigan (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+2m. 09.5s; 7. S. Quinn/S. Reynolds (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+2m. 32.0s; 8. K. Grogan/A. Sherlock (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+2m. 46.3s; 9. S. Touzel/M. Freeman (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+3m. 05.7s; 10. G. Kiernan/J. McGrath (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+3m. 59.3s.