THERE WERE REASONS FOR Donegal Motor Club competitors to cheer at the 2015 Wexford Stages Rally at the weekend.
Letterkenny man Johnny Baird was the co-driver for Wesley Patterson, who finished in second place overall while there was a class win, in Class 11R, for Letterkenny brothers Kyle and Dale McGettigan.
After two days of battling in Wexford, Mark Straker and Michael Coady, in the Darrian, had 56 seconds to spare on County Down’s Patterson – who again had Baird on the notes in the MK 2 Escort.
Straker and James Stafford had a titanic battle with Straker ahead after day one with Stafford suffering suspension trouble on stage four.
Good sportsmanship was on show as Straker gave his rival the part needed to repair the Darrian.
Stafford took twenty seconds off the lead in the first of Sunday’s stages, but he went off road on stage nine and his rally was over, meaning Patterson and Baird – who had a solid run all weekend – took second on the podium.
The Corolla of the McGettigan boys (pictured above) – aided by Trevor McConnell Motorsport – was the winner of Class 11R, with their run seeing them finish in 26th position in the overall classification.
Dungloe’s Patrick McHugh and Pauric O’Donnell were 12th overall while Dunkineely’s JF Shovlin and Terence Furey were 14th overall and won class 15 with Annagry’s Gavin Kelly coming in 17th.
Marty Gallagher from Letterkenny had another fine weekend in the Civic. With Dean O’Sullivan calling the notes, he finished 22nd overall and was third in Class 11F. Gallagher is on course to sew up second place overall in the Border Championship with the Class win already secured.
Johnny Jordan and Joey Kane from Inver and Mountcharles respectively finished 34th while the Glenties crew of Declan McShane and Emmet Brosnan were 39th.
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