Devine finishes day one on top in Killarney

Devine finishes day one on top in Killarney
 PHOTO BY D HARRIGAN IMAGES WORDS BY ADAM HALL
Samdec Security International ITRC
Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan hold a 22-second overnight lead after Killarney Rally of the Lakes’ eight stages on Saturday.
The two-time Rally of the Lakes winners were second for most of Saturday after Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin stormed into a 33.5-second after six stages.
Cronin was untouchable. setting five fastest times on the bounce that included a stunning 18.2-second stage win on the first assault on Ardgroom.
A nick to Cronin’s front-left tyre on the second running of Ardgroom, stage seven, resulted in a slow puncture, costing him the rally lead and over two minutes to his rivals. The Galway and West Cork Rally winner jumped back onto stage-winning pace on Saturday’s final Kilmakilloge test to climb into fifth overall, one minute and 42 seconds behind rally leader Devine.
Devine started the day with the fastest time on Moll’s Gap before falling behind Cronin on the next Healy Pass test. The reigning Irish Tarmac champion struggled to find his usual pace as his hard compound tyres couldn’t get up to optimum temperature on Saturday’s midday loop of stages.
Still, Devine and local co-driver O’Sullivan set a series of second-fastest times to ensure they slipped into the lead when Cronin hit trouble on Saturday’s penultimate test.
Matt Edwards and David Moynihan made their Moll’s Gap debut together on stage one. The lack of experience resulted in a 12.1-second deficit to Devine. The Welshman started to close in on Devine with two second-fastest times on Healy Pass and the epic Cod’s Head but his momentum stalled on the next Ardgroom stage when he got stuck behind Cronin’s punctured Fiesta for several seconds on the narrow Beara roads.
Pop-off valve issues cost Edwards more time on Kilmakilloge as he finished his first day rallying in Killarney 22 seconds off the lead.
Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy completed Rally of the Lakes’ opening day in third overall, 13.5 seconds behind Edwards. Doherty was in fine form, continuing to show his promise in his rookie year in Rally2 machinery.
The Kilkenny pilot consistently set top times despite his Skoda suffering from pop-off valve problems throughout the day of tight competition.
Jonny Greer and Niall Burns hold fourth overall, 32.3 seconds ahead of the hard-charging Cronin while Enda O’Brien finished a solid day in sixth.

Top five after SS8/14
1 Devine / O’Sullivan (Volkswagen Polo R5) 1:05:51.6s
2 Edwards / Moynihan (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +22.0s
3 Doherty / Murphy (Skoda Fabia Rally2) +35.5
4 Greer / Burns (Citroen C3 Rally2) +1:10.3
5 Cronin / Galvin (Fiesta) +1:42.6

Rally4
8.6 seconds separates Killarney’s top three Rally4 crews after an intense day of front-wheel-drive action.
Ioan Lloyd was the initial Rally4 pacesetter, winning the opening two stages. Only a handful of seconds covered the top five which included Circuit of Ireland winner Cian Caldwell and the Peugeot 208 Rally4 of Kyle McBride.
Caldwell jumped into the lead on stage three, Cod’s Head, when 0.8 seconds covered the top four crews.
Lloyd got back on top on stage four as he faced competition for top spot from Keelan Grogan and Ryan MacHugh.
MacHigh slipped into the class lead with the fastest time on Saturday’s penultimate Ardgroom test and ended the day with a 4.3-second overnight advantage over Grogan with Lloyd a further 4.3 seconds back.

Rally4 standings after SS8/14
1 MacHugh / Boyle (Ford Fiesta Rally4) 1:11:25.3s
2 Grogan / Sherlock (Peugeot 208 Rally4) +4.3s
3 Lloyd / Williams (208) +8.6
4 Caldwell / Egan (208) +23.2
5 McBride / Mullen (208) +53.6

McEvoy Motorsport Modified ITRC
Local modified ace Colin O’Donoghue leads two-wheel-drive but had to manage a flailing alternator in the second half of day one.
Class 12 driver Sean Moynihan is flying in second after early modified leader Conor Murphy retired ahead of stage three and Chris Armstrong hit mechanical problems shortly after.
Vincent O’Shea rounded out the top three positions in his Darrian T90, 13.9 seconds ahead of McEvoy Motorsport Modified ITRC leader Damian Toner.
Frank and Lauren Kelly completed their mission of a clean run through Saturday’s stages. Their Ford Escort Mk2 lies 12.9 seconds behind championship rival Toner ahead of Sunday’s action.

McEvoy Motorsport Modified ITRC standings after SS8/14
1 O’Donoghue / O’Donoghue (Ford Escort Mk2) 1:10:52.5s
2 Moynihan / O’Donovan (Escort) +39.6s
3 O’Shea / O’Donoghue (Darrian T90) +1:41.8
4 Toner / Horgan (Escort) +1:55.7
5 Kelly / Kelly (Escort) +2:08.6

Sherwood Engines Historic ITRC
Meirion Evans and Anthony O’Sullivan have a 4.4-second lead in the Rally of the Lakes’ historic category. The Welshman jumped into the lead with a stunning time on stage seven, 15.4 seconds faster than Fergus O’Meara and Declan Casey’s similar Ford Escort RS1800.
Alan Ring had been leading the category in his BMW M3 but finished day one in second. A brace of fastest times on Killarney’s opening loop gave O’Meara an early 3.7-second category lead but slipped back through the day to end Saturday 9.9 seconds off Evans’ pace.

Sherwood Engines Historic ITRC standings after SS8/14
1 Evans / O’Sullivan (Ford Escort RS1800) 1:14:39.8s
2 Ring / Deasy (BMW M3) +4.4s
3 O’Meara / Casey (Escort) +9.9
4 Breen / Morrissey (Subaru Legacy) +1:01.8
5 Falvey / O’Brien (Escort RS1600) +1:32.5

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