Callum Devine searching for elusive West Cork Rally win in Clonakilty

CRUSING: Derry's Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 ) has won all six of the last ITRC events he's contested. Pic: Martin Walsh.

As the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally begins later this (Friday) evening it's easy to see why Derry's Callum Devine is the hot favourite for the three day, sixteen-stage encounter that has the commercial tag of "kick-starting the tourist season" in West Cork.

A winning streak that stretches back to the 2024 Cork '20 Rally has seen Derry driver become the sixth most successful driver in the history of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Currently, he has thirteen wins under his belt in less than five years.

Remarkably, he has won all six of the last ITRC events he's contested - all in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. Although he missed last year's opening ITRC rounds in Galway and West Cork, he still clinched his second Tarmac title in three years on the Ulster Rally and didn't have to compete in the Cork '20' last October.

He began his current title defence with victory in Galway - his first in the West of Ireland and now, only the West Cork Rally remains for him to complete the full flush of ITRC events.

There's no denying he and the AP/Art Rally Team have found the winning formulae - that apart from Devine's own ability, the team have perfected the set-up of the Czech machine to conquer the vagaries of the Irish tarmac terrain.

So, can Devine secure a seventh successive win and that elusive win in Clonakilty? He came close back in 2022, then at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta Rally2, only for an engine malady to derail his efforts.

It won't be lost on him that the Skoda is now the most popular marque at the cutting edge of Irish rallying with, and including his own, there are seven such examples in the top ten starting line-up.

It's akin to a lottery as to who could emerge to provide the challenge with second seed Kilkenny's Eddie Doherty a formidable opponent as he seeks his inaugural ITRC event win. 

The reigning national rally champion will have benefitted from the seat time in Galway and Mayo as he adjusts his driving style from the Skoda Fabia R5 to the Rally2 version.

CHALLENGER: Kilkenny's Eddie Doherty will provide formidable competition for Devine this weekend. Pic: Philip Fitzpatrick/Sportsfile

Cork '20' winner Michael Boyle is another well capable of extricating the maximum while the lack of experience of the West Cork roads could mitigate against the likes of Donegal's David Kelly (winner of the Mayo Rally) and Cathan McCourt. Donegal's Declan and Matthew Boyle complete the Skoda stable.

Nothing is certain in rallying, so could the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 duo of Monaghan's Josh Moffett or Ballylickey's Daniel Cronin upset the Skoda brigade? Moffett is actually the only driver in the top ten to have won (2023) in Clonakilty. 

Both he, and more so Cronin, is still on a learning curve with the Japanese marque where fractions of seconds now seem crucial in Irish rallying. Longford's Shane Quinn pilots the sole Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the top ten as Clonakilty's Cal McCarthy steers the highest seeded Citroen C3 Rally2. This evening's first of two stages starts at the bottom of Barrack Hill in the centre of the town at 19.48.

Much further afield and in very different terrain, the Safari Rally Kenya, the toughest gravel round of the WRC provide Irish and Ford Puma Rally1 drivers Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong with another major challenge. 

On Thursday evening's pair of stages event debutants Jon Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne were seventh and led their M-Sport team mates McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy by a minute and 39.2s.

Sweden's Oliver Solberg (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) is the early leader - 32.3s ahead of team mate and championship leader Elfyn Evans with Sebastien Ogier 31.8s further behind as Toyota dominated and held the top five places.

In the eye of a rain storm, championship leader Evans and Solberg enjoyed the best of the tough and wet conditions with the latter gaining a 30s advantage over Evans and Ogier a further 39.3s behind. 

Takamoto Katsuta and his Fermanagh co-driver Aaron Johnston in yet another Toyota had a frustrating stage, with no intercom and a misted screen, yet they were still fourth quickest. 

Armstrong, had some understeer as he finished the stage in ninth - over 90s ahead of team mate McErlean. On the evening's final stage and in dry conditions Ogier took the stage win with Armstrong seventh quickest to hold the same position overnight.

Safari Rally Kenya (Round 3, World Rally Championship) Naivasha: 1. O. Solberg/E. Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 30m. 18.6s; 2. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+33.3s; 3. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 05.1s; 4. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 15.3s; 5. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+2m. 06.4s; 6. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+2m. 21.9s; 7. J. Armstrong/S. Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1)+2m. 32.2s; 8. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 Rally1)+2m. 38.1; 9. E. Lappi/E. Malkonen (Hyundai i20 Rally1)+2m. 52.9s; 10. G. Greensmith/J. Andersson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+3. 42.5s; 12. J. McErlean/E. Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1)+4m. 11.4s.