JAMES CULLEN COMPLETED the Heartlands Mini Stages Rally in Laois today, five days before his Donegal International Rally comeback.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the first of his two Donegal Rally wins in 1991, Cullen is back at the wheel and used today’s rally in Laois as a test for next weekend.
Cullen had Joe Friel on the pacenotes today and the pair finished in 25th position, the Mk2 Escort fifth in class 14.
Cullen won Donegal in 1991 in the famous pink Sierra ‘The Pink Panther’ and won his home event in an Impreza. Ellen Morgan, who passed away ten years ago now in 2006, was Cullen’s navigator for both wins.
A ‘Cullen4Donegal’ team, led by the likes of Stephen Sheridan, Aidan Caddye and Denis Orr, has been working hard behind the scenes lately to get the Letterkenny man back on the road.
[adrotate group=”46″]‘The Milkman’ Declan Gallagher finished fourth overall today in Laois and won class 13 in the Starlet.
Gallagher was only three seconds behind third-placed Enda O’Brien.
The top three had just 0.6 seconds between them with the rally won by Chris Armstrong ahead of Trevor Mulligan.
Burt’s PJ McDermott took victory in class 15 and was 14th overall, while Pat Kirk and John McElhinney were 17th overall ahead of next weekend’s visit to Donegal in the Evo.
