MANUS KELLY ROARED BACK into action today by taking victory at the Seven Oaks Hotel Carlow Rally.
The Glenswilly man, with regular co-driver Donall Barrett from Milford on the notes, scored a debut win in the WRC Subaru.
It was the Kelly-Barrett duo’s first slice of action since their memorable win in the National Rally in Donegal last June.
This also comes just over a month before they are expected to defend that crown.
Kelly, perhaps playing down his chances, said beforehand that he was aiming for a ‘tidy, hitch-free run in Carlow’ – but he blew that away as he won by 10.7 seconds from Roy White and James O’Brien in the Fiesta.
Longford man Tommy Doyle was in third.
Kelly was driving a Subaru S12B WRC obtained from Melvyn Evans Motorsport in Wales for the one-day event.
He led pretty much from start to finish, going just 0.9 seconds faster than Peadar Hurson on the opening stage.
By the end of the sixth stage, Kelly was almost 10 seconds in front and he swept across the last stage to confirm a fine win.
