Donegal Harvest heats up as Boyle brings WRC Fiesta

Irish rally fans are set to enjoy another thrilling battle on tomorrow’s Donegal Harvest Rally. The six-stage event based around Donegal Town has attracted some of Irish rallying’s fastest crews topped by recent Cork 20 winner Callum Devine.

The defending Donegal Harvest winner will face familiar rivals in Donagh Kelly, Sam Moffett, and Josh Moffett. While Sam Moffett showed stage winning pace in Cork, Donagh Kelly will hope local knowledge boosts his potential challenge.

Declan Boyle is another local driver in the top ten and his switch from expected Volkswagen Polo R5 to the more powerful Ford Fiesta WRC could spring him into the front fight. It will be Boyle’s first rally in over two years but his return to a World Rally Car in which he enjoyed many wins is an exciting prospect.

Northern Ireland Rally Championship frontrunner Desi Henry makes his return to closed-road stages and is an added challenger to those in Cork two weeks ago.

Garry Jennings, Cathan McCourt, Joseph McGonigle, and Niall Maguire complete Donegal Harvest’s top ten seeds. Spectators will savour Maguire’s Subaru Impreza WRC on Sunday with the famous model fast becoming an elusive sight on the stages.

As in Cork Stuart Darcy, Gary Kiernan, and Chris Armstrong lead the modified entries. Local drivers Kevin Eves, JF Shovelin, and Johnny Jordan run just behind.

Star names continue throughout the 140 cars set to start making it a rally not to be missed.

Two stages, Ogherbeg (10.9 km) and Glencoagh (13.4 km), are ran three times to complete Sunday’s action. A short shakedown acts as a warm-up on Saturday afternoon.