Samdec Security International ITRC
Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan clinched their maiden Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title after finishing second on a wet and wild Ulster Rally finale.
The title-winning partnership recorded their fifth top points-scoring result of the season when they finished 47.7 seconds behind British Rally Championship visitors Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria.
Devine entered the final round of the 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship knowing a fourth-place finish or higher would seal his first-ever Rally2 title. A series of stunning wins on the Circuit of Ireland, Killarney Rally of the Lakes, Donegal International Rally, and Cork 20 Rally had given him a healthy lead at the top of the standings.
Meirion Evans and Josh Moffett were still in contention, however, needing a victory on the Ulster Rally to upset the odds.
Stormy weather made Ulster Rally’s tricky Friday stages even more testing and it wasn’t long before it claimed the hopes of one of ITRC’s title contenders.
Galway International Rally winners Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson were caught out on a slippery right-hander on Ulster’s second stage. Distracted by misbehaving windscreen wipers, Evans slid his Volkswagen Polo R5 into a gatepost on the Banbridge North test. The Welsh crew’s rally was over, bringing an early end to their title challenge.
That left defending champions Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes as Devine and O’Sullivan’s sole title rivals.
Moffett, who has struggled to find a sweet spot aboard his new Hyundai i20 Rally2 in wet conditions, was unable to make an impact on the waterlogged County Down stages. The Monaghan driver finished day one in fifth position, 20 seconds behind Devine who was second overall after winning Friday’s final test.
A perfect balance of speed and caution through Saturday’s six stages ensured Devine kept his maiden Tarmac title in his control. He shadowed his former European Rally Championship rival, Fourmaux, to pick up an all-important runner-up finish that secured a hard-fought championship title.
Jonathan Greer and Niall Burns completed Ulster Rally’s top three after an intense battle with Ulster rivals Cathan McCourt and Dean O’Sullivan. McCourt was on fire in Ulster’s early treacherous conditions and held third with two stages to go. But a brace of stage wins for Greer propelled his Citroen C3 into third position, giving him a positive result to end his season in the Irish Tarmac Championship.
Another driver to impress in the wet was Jason Mitchell who completed Ulster Rally’s top five – his best ITRC result of the year. Mitchell managed to keep Robert Barrable 4.1 seconds behind with Moffett a further 2.1 seconds back in seventh.
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