Donegal duo Joseph McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney won the Mayo Stages Rally yesterday.
Muff driver McGonigle with Geaney, from Falcarragh, on board with the notes had 46.8 seconds to spare on Frank Wray and Joe McNulty.
Early in the day, the wrong tyre choice saw McGonigle’s Skoda Fabia R5 struggle, but by the third stage they were in a lead they would hold to the finish.
As the day dawned and the mist lifted over the Achill hills the first round of the Sligo Pallets Border Championship kicked off in style.
The early stages were challenging due to overnight rain but once the sun came out and the stages dried up the drivers got into their own rhythm and their confidence increased as the day went on.
McGonigle and Geany took a fine win to stave off Wray and McNulty in the Impreza with Adrian Hethrington and Ronan O’Neill in an Ford Escort coming home in third.
Recently returned from Australia, Pauric Duffy with Kevin Glynn in their Ford Fiesta R5 (class5) had a good day out, they challenged McGonigle all day and were in the lead for the first loop of stages.
Their luck was short lived and after a driveshaft broke which caused a spin and they dropped to 6th place but gradually climbed back up and gained 2 places by stage 5. They finished the day in 4th place overall .
There were plenty of Donegal competitors.
Daniel Conaghan and Terence Magee came ninth overall and second in class 13 in the Escort.
Liam Doherty and Dermot McGetttigan were 12th overall and second in class 11R in their Escort.
Sean Heraghty and Stephen Peoples finished 19th overall in the Corolla while the Carrs, Shane and Ciaran, were second in class 10 in the Nova.
Donegal man Conal Doherty called the notes for Martin Geraghty in the Civic that won class 1 – Shaun O’Donnell was second in that class.
Stuart Robb and Adrian Harkin finished 8th in class 11R, Roy Baldrick and Dermot Friel came 5th in class 13 in their Sunbeam while Barry Doogan and Keith Neary came home 6th in class 11F in the Civic.
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