Desi Henry wins but Greer keeps eye on McGrady Insurance NI Rally Championship prize

The Citroen C3 Rally 2 team set their stall out early by going fastest on the opening Lisbunny stage, measuring 6.8-mile, by four seconds and didn’t let go of the lead despite three rivals taking stage wins along the way.

On his home rally Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan were second in preparation for the Killarney International this bank holiday weekend. The Volkswagen Polo R5 driver improved his pace at the start of the second-half to win a stage but there was no denying Henry from scoring another Maiden City Motor Club event win. For Byrne it was his first rally win, a moment the Bruckless man says he, “Won’t forget in a hurry.”

Meanwhile Jonny Greer has his eyes fixed on the McGrady Insurance-backed title having increased his advantage with another top points placing thanks to Niall Burns’ notes. A stage win on the first pass of Colhoun’s Dip meant confidence was high for the second loop and it came close to a Citroen C3 Rally 2 one-two finish with just 1.1 seconds the margin from Devine after 38 minutes of rallying.

Michael Boyle improved from a sixth in Birr to decent fourth place following two second fastest stage times in his Donegal-based Volkswagen Polo R5, ahead of Aidan Wray by 9.2 seconds but 9.9 seconds from Greer’s pace. Fastest of the Ford Fiesta drivers, Jason Dickson clinched second in the points race to continue a strong season with Greer and Aaron McLaughlin, who finished ninth behind two-wheel-drive winner Damien Tourish and former Irish Tarmac champion Declan Boyle. Approaching a year since the switch from a Ford Fiesta to the current Citroen C3 Rally2, Joseph McGonigle rounded off the top 10.

TWO WHEEL DRIVE: Damien Tourish and Domhnall McAlaney secured an impressive two-wheel-drive win by going fastest on all six stages. Darrian T90 driver Barry Morris picked up his second maximum score in a row, boosting title hopes after a Kirkistown retirement. The Dungannon man was 1m 18 seconds back from Tourish but approaching two minutes quicker than Camillus Bradley.

HISTORIC: The historic race was a close affair, 2.1 seconds deciding Tommy O’Connell and Paul Hughes as the winners in a Mk2-version Ford Escort. Adrian Hetherington and Ronan O’Neill were second in a Ford Escort RS1800, with Jimmy Mills and Michael Johnston rounding off the podium.

RESULTS: 1 Desi Henry/Shane Byrne (Citroen C3 Rally2); 2 Callum Devine/Noel O’Sullivan (Volkswagen Polo R5); 3 Jonny Greer/Niall Burns (Citroën C3 Rally2); 4 Michael Boyle/Darragh Mullen (Volkswagen Polo R5); 5 Aidan Wray/Paddy Robinson (Volkswagen Polo R5); 6 Jason Dickson/Martin Brady (Ford Fiesta R5); 7 Damien Tourish/Domhnall McAlaney (Ford Escort Mk2); 8 Declan Boyle/Liam McIntyre (Citroen C3 Rally2); 9 Aaron McLaughlin/Darren Curran (Volkswagen Polo R5); 10 Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Citroen C3 Rally2).

CLASS WINNERS: Class 1: Tommy O’Connell/Paul Hughes (Ford Escort Mk2); Class 2: Seamus Goodfellow/Declan Campbell (Ford Fiesta); Class 3: Stanley Orr/Graham Henderson (Nissan Micra); Class 4: Aodhan Gallagher/Neil Martin Brogan (Honda Civic); Class 5: Quentin Park/Jenson Park; Class 6: John Devlin/John McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2); Class 7: Damien Tourish/Domhnall McAlaney (Ford Escort Mk2); Class 8: Ben McFall/Damian McAuley (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); Class 9: Johnnie Mulholland/Ryan Farrell (Ford Fiesta Rally3); Class 10: Callum Devine/Noel O’Sullivan (Volkswagen Polo R5); Class 11: Desi Henry/Shane Byrne (Citroen C3 Rally 2).