DONAGH KELLY CAN still remember the day, the image, the sight and the sound.
A June afternoon in 1978 at St Mary’s Church in Killymard was the Frosses man’s first taste of the Donegal Rally. Ari Vatanen, the great Finnish driver, was delighting the crowds that weekend in the RS1800 Escort.
Kelly was bitten by the bug and he’s risen himself to the top of the sport.
The current Irish Tarmac champion, Kelly is missing one medal from the tunic: Donegal.
“I don’t come from a motorsport background or family,” Kelly says.
“I watched my first Donegal Rally in 1978 and was absolutely hooked from that day.
“I was standing at Killymard Chapel. I remember Ari in the Escort that year…such a thrill, such a buzz.”
In 2015, on his way to winning the Championship, Kelly won the Galway International, the Birr Stages, the Circuit of Munster, the Midlands Stages, Ravens Rock, Sligo Stages, the Ulster Rally and the Cork 20 Rally.
And yet, without Donegal he remains unfulfilled, admitting: “I’d trade them all for a win in Donegal.”
And this weekend, he goes under starters orders again in Donegal, looking to emulate Vincent Bonner, James Cullen and Declan Boyle, previous Donegal natives to drive to victory over those famous stages.
Kelly says: “The years of Vincent Bonner, Austin MacHale and Bertie Fisher were the highlight years. There was unreal excitement. Vincent always held his own against guys who seemed like they had better cars. Vincent was my hero growing up.”
Last year, Kelly trailed Garry Jennings by only 4.2 seconds at the end of day one in Donegal, but when he clipped a stone on Garygort on the Saturday morning, he was down a minute and the dream dashed.
Such was the lure of rallying to the young Kelly, he purchased a rally car before a road car: In 1994, when he was 24 and based in Scotland, he bought a 1300 Group N Nova. “I even did the event, in Scotland, on road tyres!
“That’s how much I wanted to go rally. It was a dream to get into a rally car.”
He won Class 9 in the Irish Tarmac Championship in 1999, but a year later suffered a big moment in the Harvest Stages Rally. The Nova was 11th overall, but hampered by a fault in the rear suspension when it careered off into a tree.
Kelly broke his back in two places and broke his pelvis.
Kelly was back in action after an 18-month lay-off and from there to here has been a long journey for the KN Group CEO.
Last year came his most glorious hours as he scorched his way to the Tarmac Championship crown.
He’s changed co-driver this year with Cork’s Conor Foley now on the notes in the seat occupied most of recent years by Kevin Flanagan.
Foley has sat with Kelly for six rallies now and they’ve won all six – an omen, perhaps?
Kelly says: “I have to say, the ten years I spent with Kevin were special. We built a rapport up over that period.
“Kevin decided to take a sabbatical, but Conor has slotted in. Over the last couple of events, we have gelled and we’re working as good as I ever expected. There is real trust and comfort in the car now.”
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