It was a double delight for Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan as the pair secured not only took victory at the Ulster Rally but secured there second Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in the process.
Devine safely navigated the Friday leg of the Northern Ireland Motor Club event alongside Noel O’Sullivan, the Claudy man’s Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 holding a slim 12.9 second lead over the identical Czech-built supermini belonging to Declan Boyle.
He maintained his lead throughout Saturday also as he secured stage wins on seven and ten to take victory and continue his 100% winning streak in the process this season.
Osian Pryce was confident the character of Saturday’s roads could play into his hands, the 16 second buffer Boyle provisionally enjoys could ebb away and he proved just that. Taking four stages wins on Saturday and taking second place and only finishing ten seconds behind race winner Devine.
Declan Boyle brought home a solid third in his Skoda Fabia with Patrick Walsh calling the notes in the two day event. This would be Boyle’s best finish so far this year in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
Early Ulster Rally retirements included Boyle’s other son Michael, his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 getting out of shape through a right-left section on ‘Camlough’ before it ended up in a hedge.
Former Irish Tarmac Rally Champion Darren Gass was another unexpected casualty, the repeated jumps and compressions cracking the windscreen on his Solo Petroleum liveried Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 and also aggravating a recent work-related injury. Both moments happened on Friday respectively.
Elsewhere Kalum Graffin reigned supreme in the Rally4 class with John O’Donnell taking home the historic class win with Damien Toner with a comfortable victory in the modifeds.
