CALLUM Devine and Noel O’Sullivan emerged as emphatic winners of the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally over the weekend. Their Skoda Fabia performed faultlessly, the pair leading right from the start and building up a strong lead by the end of day one and managing that advantage all the way to the end.

Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy took the runner up spot after an impressive drive in their new Skoda, just edging out Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes who gave their Toyota Yaris its debut and took fastest time on the last stage of the rally as they acclimatised well to their new wheels.

Eighty-five cars started on Saturday morning with sixty-one classified as finishers after two days rallying and fifteen tough stages. Devine, the current NAPA Autoparts Irish Tarmac Rally champion, gets his title defence off to the perfect start by taking top points.

Day 1

The first day’s action took place around the Headford area, and the weather was unusually benign with clear bright conditions and no wind at all. The previous week’s rain had left some tricky conditions in sheltered parts of the route.

The opening test at Kilcoona was where Devine laid down a marker, going a full eight seconds clear over the 11.7-kilometre stage. Michael Boyle was Devine’s closest challenger with the top five places being a Skoda lockout. Eddie Doherty, David Kelly and Declan Boyle held third, fourth and fifth respectively, with Gary Kiernan’s Fiesta in sixth place breaking the Skoda dominance. Josh Moffett and Eamonn Kelly were seventh and eighth in their Toyotas, 17 seconds off the lead already.

The second stage at Kilbeg was curtailed as Eamonn Kelly and co-driver Conor Mohan’s Toyota hit a wall head on, fortunately without serious injury. Only the top two seeds got to complete the stage and Devine’s advantage over his rivals increased by ten seconds.

The third stage at Caherlistrane saw Devine have his only major scare of the weekend when he broke a wheel rim, but fortunately the tyre did not deflate. Devine’s lead was at 21.3 seconds after the opening loop. Michael Boyle, Eddie Doherty, Josh Moffett  and David Kelly held the top five places. David Guest and Neil Roskell both slid off the road on the third stage but later rejoined under Rally 2.

The weather stayed fine as the same three stages were attempted for the middle loop and Devine pushed his lead to more than 30 seconds. Josh Moffett dropped back slightly as he still adjusted to his new car, while Eddie Doherty was putting huge pressure on Michael Boyle to close within a couple of seconds by the end of stage six.

The Kilbeg stage claimed another top competitor on the second run in the shape of Tom Holton and Stephen Joyce who retired their Fiesta after going off the road. Cathan McCourt and Barry McNulty were having a difficult rally in their Fiesta with series of punctures disrupting their rhythm and costing them time. Darren Gass and Enda Sherry retired their VW Polo at the flying finish of stage six when they slid off and damaged the front suspension.

The final three stages of the day saw Devine ease out to a 42.3 second lead with Doherty finally squeezing ahead of Michael Boyle. Josh Moffett moved back into fourth place at the expense of Declan Boyle with David Kelly completing the top six places. The battle for the rest of the top ten places was no less intense with just over ten seconds separating Gary Kiernan in seventh from Ryan Loughran in tenth with Shane Quinn and Tommy Doyle sandwiched in between.

Galway driver Stephen Greaney had been just outside the top ten but became another victim of the Kilbeg stage just before the day’s action concluded. Rodney Wilton and Michael Cahill were having a great battle for the modified honours, Wilton leading by just eight seconds overnight. Daniel Breslin retired after an accident earlier in the day while holding third place in the category.

Pictured: Winners of the Corrib Oil International Rally Callum Devine and co-driver Noel O’Sullivan celebrate victory. Photo: Martin Walsh.