Welshman Matt Edwards with Cork co-driver David Moynihan are the leaders as we go into the third and final day of this year’s Wilton Recycling Donegal International Rally.
The leaders have a 16 second advantage in their Ford Fiesta, ahead of last year’s champions Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan in a new Skoda Rally 2.
Another Welshman, Meirion Evans, whose co-driver is Ger Conway, are in third in the latest version of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 car which is making its debut in Ireland. They are 53.9 seconds behind the leaders.
Cathan McCourt and Brian Hoy, in another Fiesta, were in third for most of Saturday start today in fourth, six seconds adrift of Evans. The leading Donegal crew David Kelly and Dean O’Sullivan in a VW Polo will be hoping to build on a great day yesterday when they had two fastest times. They are fifth overall, a further nine and a half seconds behind.
Ardara’s Declan Gallagher, with John McCarty alongside him, are now the leaders of the modified section. He had been sitting second in class 14 after yesterday’s final stage, but the times were adjusted by the officials as he had stopped on Friday following an accident involving Mark Alcorn. Consequently, Declan Gallagher now leads the 2WD crews, just one second ahead of last year’s modified winners in Donegal, Kevin Gallagher and Ryan Moore in the Darian T90 who are tenth overall. Monaghan’s Gary McPhillips – a winner of the national in Donegal in 2013 – is third in the modifieds and 14th overall. He is 2 mins 26 secs behind Declan Gallagher.
Before the crews headed off for Gartan and today’s first stage, Highland Radio’s Oisin Kelly went to Parc Ferme and got the views of Matt Edwards, Meirion Evans, Kevin Gallagher, Callum Devine, and David Kelly.
Today see the final six stages with two loops of Gartan, Atlantic Drive and Fanad Head. The first car is due off the final stage at 16.40
