Galway
The mid Wales team of Meirion Evans and co-driver Jonathan Jackson claimed their second international win at the Galway International Rally.
Evans, who hails from Pumsaint, and Jackson fought back from fourth to claim a superb victory on the final day of what was the opening round of the 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
Sunday’s stunning performance saw Evans and Jackson leapfrog local boys Josh and Sam Moffett when both brothers made errors on the Black Road, handing the Welsh team victory by 12.7 seconds.
Josh and Andy Hayes would finish second with Sam and Keith Moriarty filling out the podium.
West Cork
Josh Moffett won the West Cork Rally, the second round of the 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (ITRC) in his Hyundai 120.
Moffet though responded magnificently and flew his Hyundai through the last stage to eventually register a mere 8.9 second win with Barrable in second and Evans, winner of the opening round, the Welshman taking the final step on the podium 42.9 seconds adrift of the eventual winner.
Callum Devine, Jonny Greer and Sam Moffett rounded out the top six on the overall leaderboard.
Circuit Of Ireland
A pacey performance from Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan secured victory on the 2023 Circuit of Ireland. The Volkswagen Polo R5 pairing led from the opening stage to claim a 10.2-second win over Irish Tarmac Rally Championship leaders Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes.
Devine’s determined drive on demanding stages surrounding Cookstown puts him back in the Irish Tarmac hunt. The championship now has three winning crews after three rounds.
In fact, the successful trio completed the Circuit of Ireland podium as Galway International Rally winners Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson finished third on the eight-stage event.
Rally Of The Lakes
Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan successfully defended their Rally of the Lakes crown to take their second Irish Tarmac win of the year by a well-managed 25.1 seconds.
The Volkswagen Polo R5 crew fought back from a puncture on Killarney’s Moll’s Gap opener to grab the rally lead on stage four. Despite continued threats from Robert Barrable and Rob Duggan, Devine’s grasp on first was unrelenting as he showed the same class that clinched his Circuit of Ireland win earlier this month.
Devine kept his cool through two passes of Gortnagane and Knockrower East to seal another crucial victory in his Irish Tarmac title hunt. Duggan slid into a bank on Killarney’s penultimate test, solidifying Barrable’s second runner-up finish of the year.
Championship leader, Josh Moffett, cruised home in third to secure more important points.
Donegal International Rally
In arguably the flagship event in the Irish Rally Calendar, Callum Devine has won the Donegal International Rally for the first time.
The Claudy man was in contention all weekend and by the end of the final stage, SS20 at Fanad Head, on Sunday, he was 55.5 ahead of nearest challenger Matt Edwards.
Disaster struck Moffett on SS17, the first loop of Fanad, on Sunday when the Monaghan man crashed out, handing a firm advantage to Devine, a popular driver in these parts who is a son of former Donegal Rally competitor Seamus Devine.
Moffett’s exit ensured that a new name would be added to the winners’ list of this famous event, the only three-day rally that remains on the Irish Tarmac Championship’s calendar.
Cork 20
A rapid time through Stage 13, Badgers Hill, was enough for Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan to claim their fourth Irish Tarmac event win in a row on the Cork 20 International Rally.
The Volkswagen Polo R5 crew finished the two-day event 2.7 seconds ahead of day one pacesetters Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson who had to settle for second despite scoring seven stage wins over the weekend.
Devine and O’Sullivan were fastest out of the blocks on Saturday morning’s opening Caherduggan stage but subsequent fastest times from Evans and fellow ITRC title contender Josh Moffett paved the way for a three-car fight for Cork 20 honours.
Ulster Rally
Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan clinched their maiden Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title after finishing second on a wet and wild Ulster Rally finale.
The title-winning partnership recorded their fifth top points-scoring result of the season when they finished 47.7 seconds behind British Rally Championship visitors Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria.
Devine entered the final round of the 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship knowing a fourth-place finish or higher would seal his first-ever Rally2 title.
Meirion Evans and Josh Moffett were still in contention, however, needing a victory on the Ulster Rally to upset the odds.
Stormy weather made Ulster Rally’s tricky Friday stages even more testing and it wasn’t long before it claimed the hopes of one of ITRC’s title contenders.
Galway International Rally winners Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson were caught out on a slippery right-hander on Ulster’s second stage. Distracted by misbehaving windscreen wipers, Evans slid his Volkswagen Polo R5 into a gatepost on the Banbridge North test. The Welsh crew’s rally was over, bringing an early end to their title challenge.
That left defending champions Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes as Devine and O’Sullivan’s sole title rivals.
In the end they could only finish 7th in the event with Jonathan Greer and Niall Burns completing Ulster Rally’s top three after an intense battle with Ulster rivals Cathan McCourt and Dean O’Sullivan.
