Former National and Tarmac Rally champion Donagh Kelly scored a narrow win in the Monaghan Four Seasons Hotel Rally.
The Frosses man took the lead just after the half-way mark to beat local ace Josh Moffett by six seconds at the finish.
Moffett lost his early lead when his Fiesta punctured on the sixth stage, costing him 32 seconds and letting Kelly’s older but more powerful Focus through.
Despite a huge effort on the final loop, Moffett and co-driver Andy Hayes were unable to keep their unbeaten record in this year’s Triton Showers National Championship.
Three more National title holders filled the next positions, in the order Roy White, Declan Boyle and Sam Moffett, with Pettigo’s Kevin Eves taking eighth overall and winning the two wheel drive class in his Corolla.
Defending champion Rob Dwane won the two opening rounds of the Pack and Pallet Hillclimb series at Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, while Irish drivers finished first and second in the third round of the British Junior Rally Championship at Carlisle, with Josh McErlean beating William Creighton by 53 seconds, both driving Peugeot 208s.
- Donagh Kelly/Conor Foley (Ford Focus WRC) 1h.05m. 00.2s
- Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes (Ford Fiesta WRC) 1h. 05m. 05.9s
- Roy White/James O’Brien (Ford Fiesta WRC) 1h. 05m. 33.0
- Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC) 1h 05m. 44.8s
- Sam Moffett/James Fulton (Ford Fiesta WRC) 1h. 06m. 12.4s
- Darren Gass/Enda Sherry (Skoda Fabia R5) 1h. 07m. 19.0s
- Joe McGonigle/Ciaran Geary (Mini WRC) 1h. 08m. 39.6s
- Kevin Eves/Chris Melly (Toyota Corolla) 1h. 08m. 52.7s
- Michael Carbin/Conor Mohan (Mitsubishi EvoVIII) 1h. 09m. 36.6s
- Peadar Hurson/Damien Connolly (Ford Fiesta WRC) 1h. 09m. 39.6s
