Joule Donegal International Rally Preview
There is something special about big sporting events in June – The world Cup every 4 years, Wimbledon, the US Open, the Isle of Man TT, Le Mans 24 hours. It’s fitting that June also plays host to what is arguably Irelands biggest motorsport event, The Joule Donegal International Rally, which makes up round 4 of the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Championship and attracts the best rally drivers from near and far, who come to the unspoilt and scenic hills of Donegal, to pitch their talents on some of the most famous, picturesque and challenging stages in Irish rallying.
The Joule Donegal International Rally has achieved legendary status in Irish rallying and further afield. As the Tourism marketing slogan states ‘Donegal has it all’ ….. and from a rallying perspective, it really does; legendary stages, legendary drivers, legendary battles and a legendary atmosphere.
That’s a lot of pressure on a motorsport event that is tucked away in the far northwest of Ireland where the rolling hills meet the wild and rugged Atlantic Ocean. But this is an event that has earned its reputation, thanks in no small part to the narrow strips of tarmac that traverse the hills and hug the rugged 'Wild Atlantic Way' coastline. The stages are too many to name and roll off the tongue: Knockalla, Atlantic Drive, Fanad, Gartan, High Glen and many more. All are stern tests of man and machine, and to be successful in ‘the hills’ requires a fast car, set up to deal with the bumps and jumps and a driver/co-driver pairing totally in sync, as rapid-fire pacenotes guide the way through the narrow, technical sections and bravery keeps the right foot on the bulkhead on the fast flowing sections.
The organisers have included some minor changes to the route this year to keep the event fresh. The regular Sunday tests are still present, however for the first time since 2011 the famous High Glen and Fanad stages will be run in reverse for 2017, which promises to provide plenty of entertainment in Glen Village.
If you take a glance back through the history books, there is an impressive list of winners that have been victorious in Donegal. When the original winner, Cathal Curley, won the first running of the event when it was renamed from ‘The Rally of the Rosses’, he started a trend where the winners list reads as a who's who of Irish rallying royalty. Billy Coleman from Millstreet in Cork has won the rally in a Lancia Stratos, Metro 6R4, Manta 400 and a Porsche 911, Ari Vatanen, Jimmy McRae, Vincent Bonner, Mark Lovell, David Llewellin, Austin McHale and more recently his son Gareth, James Cullen, Stephen Finlay, Bertie Fisher, Andrew Nesbitt, Eugene Donnelly and even the venerable Sebastian Loeb have all claimed victory in Donegal.
In more recent years Gary Jennings, Declan Boyle, Sam Moffett and Manus Kelly have crossed the finish ramp in Letterkenny first and each of these 4 previous winners will take to the stages next weekend again, hoping cross the finish ramp in Letterkenny first on Sunday.
In the last 5 years, Garry Jennings has taken his Subaru S12B to victory twice, in 2012 and again in 2015. However the Fermanagh man had a disappointing event in 2016, retiring with a blown engine on Stage 1. Garry won the Galway International this year starting the season well and no doubt will be out to make amends attacking from the very start.
In 2013 Sam Moffett came to Donegal fully armed with a McKinstry prepared S14 WRC Impreza and duly kept his head while others were losing theirs to take the trophy after 3 days of high drama with road penalties, accidents and mechanical failures. This year, Sam comes to the Rally as leader of the Irish Tarmac Championship after taking victory at the Rally of the Lakes and will be out to repeat his 2013 success.
2014 was a historic year for Donegal as Declan and Brian Boyle became the first all Donegal crew to cross the finish ramp as winners of the rally since Vincent Bonner and Seamus McGettigan in 1983. 2017 has been bright so far for the Leitirmacaward crew whose Fiesta WRC was first over the ramp at the Cavan Stages Rally and have a handful of second places under their belts this season, indicating that the Boyles are on pace and will be out for victory this year.
2016 was another successful year for Donegal men as Manus Kelly and Donall Barrett put in a storming final day to claim victory, after first taking their Subaru for a trip through a field on Saturday afternoon. It was the first Donegal International Rally the crew had won outright however the win came off the back of a National Rally victory on the event in 2015, so the crew certainly know their way around the Donegal roads and will be hard to beat.
There are many more crews in the field who aren’t previous winners but are in with a chance of winning. Whilst reigning Irish Tarmac Champion, Keith Cronin, doesn't enter the event this year, Alastair Fisher who is second in the Irish Tarmac Championship would, no doubt, like to take a full haul of points from the event to keep the pressure on at the top of the championship standings.
Josh Moffett has taken a break from his adventures around Europe in the ERC Junior U28 championship to return and tackle the hills and Local man Joe McGonigle will be hunting victory, after finishing as top R5 in 2015 and having a difficult season last year adapting to his new car. Robbert Barrible has impressed in his Hyundai i-20 after a few years away from rallying and promises to be on the pace but there are many, many more challengers that may emerge from the pack over the 3 days of intense rally action.
There is also another side to the rally in Donegal ....... The Modifieds. Donegal has established itself as the Holy Grail for modified competitors in Ireland and the modified category is generally dominated by the venerable Mk2 Escort. Its unsurprising that it is so popular really, as there is nothing quite like the sight, sound and smell of a modified mk2 Escort tackling some of the toughest stages in Ireland, it must be one hell of a ride in the car.
The quality and pace of the modified field is unquestionable and as if to emphasise this point, prior to winning the rally outright in 2016, Manus Kelly took the modified victory in 2015. Manus’s win broke the dominance of Gary McPhillips, who won the National section of the Donegal International Rally in 2013 and 2014. Last year, multiple British and Scottish Rally champion David Bogie finally brought his Mk2 Escort across the ramp as national section winner after years of trying in both escorts and a Metro 6R4. Bogie emulated his fellow Scot, Colin McRea, who took his own Metro 6R4 to the rally and won the modified class in 2006.
This year, Kevin Eves leads the modified section of the Irish Tarmac Championship coming into the event with Eugene Meegan in his very unique BMW in second place, but there is a stellar field of modified maniacs who can't wait to hunt them down on the infamous Donegal tar.
To add another bit of interest to the modified entry, 2 days ago, Michael Dunlop took his 2-wheeled daily to Senior TT victory at the Isle of Man TT course and will again enter the Donegal International Rally in 2017 in his Mk2 Escort.
It promises to be a magical year in Donegal, the weather will no doubt be what we in the northwest call 'changeable', which means you will need both wet gear and suncream all in one day! The competition promises to be hot right throughout the field, from the moment Manus Kelly launches the Impreza with the big number 1 on the door into the first stage on Friday morning until the final car crosses the finish ramp in Letterkenny on Sunday evening.
To keep up to date with all the action, follow DHarriganimages on social media. We will have 2 photographers on the stages each day and be uploading a daily summary, with all the news and pictures from each day of the rally.
See you on the ditches.
