WORDS: ADAM HALL PHOTO: BY D HARRIGAN IMAGES
Matt Edwards and David Moynihan have a brilliant opportunity to move to the top of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship standings as the Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew end day one of the 2024 Donegal International Rally with a 12-second lead.
Edwards set his first of four fastest times on Donegal’s Malin Head opener, 0.7 seconds quicker than Irish Tarmac Rally Championship leaders Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin.
A hat-trick of stage wins on Donegal’s opening loop only gave him a 2.1-second lead over fellow Ford pilot Cronin. An overshoot on stage four’s first junction cost Edwards a chunk of time as he conceded his top spot to Cronin.
Cronin’s lead was short-lived when an accident on stage five put his Fiesta out of the rally with rear suspension damage. The Ballylickey man’s rare mistake, which had his Fiesta collide with a stone wall, puts his ITRC lead at risk with two rounds remaining.
Meanwhile, Callum Devine was finding form behind the wheel of his recently acquired Skoda Fabia Rally2, setting the fastest time on Mamore Gap. The defending Donegal Rally winner made a steady start to the rally, trying to stay within touching distance of the leaders as he began understanding how his Fabia handled on the slippery Irish stages.
Devine’s set-up tweaks seemed to work as he finished Friday in second position, 12 seconds behind rally leader Edwards.
A series of competitive times penciled Cathan McCourt’s name into third on Donegal’s overnight leaderboard, 12.8 seconds behind Devine. The Tyrone challenger was making only his third rally start of the year.
It was a difficult day for 2022 Donegal International Rally winners, Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes. Pop-off valve issues hindered their opening stage while power steering failure on stage four cost them at least 15 seconds, putting them in a battle with Meirion Evans and David Kelly.
Kelly, who is fifth in the Irish Tarmac Championship, started the rally with a rapid fourth-fastest time on Malin Head, less than three seconds off Edwards’ benchmark. The 28-year-old’s hard tyres may have suited stage one’s dry road surface but it was less than ideal on Mamore Gap and Coolcross.
Friday’s race for fourth ended with Moffett on top, three seconds ahead of Evans’ Toyota Yaris Rally2, and 4.8 seconds ahead of Kelly’s Volkswagen Polo R5.
Stage one knocked out several Donegal contenders with Desi Henry proving the first Malin Head victim. The Citroen pilot hit a stone that was pulled out from the side of a road and lost three minutes with a puncture.
Top five after SS6/20
1 Edwards / Moynihan (Ford Fiesta Rally2) 42:26.6s
2 Devine / O’Sullivan (Skoda Fabia Rally2) +12.0s
3 McCourt / Hoy (Fiesta) +24.8
4 Moffett / Hayes (Citroen C3 Rally2) +52.8
5 Evans / Conway (Toyota Yaris Rally2) +55.8
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