Moffett and Devine fight for day one Donegal lead
Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes were the men to beat on day one of the 2023 Donegal International Rally. Last year’s winners finished Friday’s six stages with a 4.9-second lead over Irish Tarmac Rally Championship rivals Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan.
The reigning champions’ Hyundai i20 R5 bravely battered its way through the unforgiving terrain south of Donegal Town. Moffett was inch-perfect through the bumps, jumps, and dusty junctions of Donegal Bay, Rockhill, and Copany to set benchmark times on all three stages.
Devine was left 11.3 seconds behind Moffett heading into Friday’s lunchtime service halt. The Circuit of Ireland and Rally of the Lakes winner had an eventful start to the Donegal Rally. A heavy landing on stage two cracked his Volkswagen Polo R5’s windscreen. Another sketchy landing on stage three almost had him in a hedge – Devine somehow managed to brush along the bank leaving marks for his subsequent Rally2 rivals to ponder on.
In searing June heat, Garry Jennings and Sam Moffett traded places for third over the first three tests. Jennings’ Fiesta hit a kerb on Copany and lost his podium place to Moffett on the third stage. Less than half a second separated the brace of Donegal Rally winners at Friday’s halfway point.
2022 Donegal Rally frontrunner Matt Edwards was down in eighth after stage three. His Polo R5 struggled with a rear differential issue from the very first stage, immediately dashing his hopes of a second Donegal challenge.
Devine punched in a positive response to Moffett’s early Donegal dominance by setting the fastest time on stage four, Donegal Bay. He went 3.7 seconds faster than Moffett who backed off by the finest of margins on the stage’s bruising bumps.
Moffett hit back with a stage win on Rockhill before Devine grabbed his second fastest time of the day with a mega effort on Friday’s final test. Devine’s Copany cracker put him less than five seconds off the lead heading into Saturday’s more familiar tests.
Sam Moffett solidified his podium position on Friday afternoon, moving 10.7 seconds ahead of Jennings. Fermanagh’s Ford Fiesta Rally2 pilot had fell within 0.9 seconds of Desi Henry who was upping the pace in fifth.
Meirion Evans finished his trialling day in sixth, struggling to match his usual rally-challenging pace after his accident on Cod’s Head last time out.
Matt Edwards finished the day in seventh overall, punching in the third-fastest time on Friday’s final stage. He is one minute, five seconds off the rally lead but will be hoping to climb the leaderboard tomorrow.
In modifieds, Kevin Gallagher holds a splendid 10.3-second advantage over Kevin Eves. The local Darrian driver will be happy with his day’s work on stages probably less suited to his two-wheel-drive weapon.
Gary Kiernan and Damien Tourish are battling for the final podium spot with the former holding a slender 0.9-second advantage.
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Photos by D Harrigan Images
