Main Pic: Callum Devine on the charge during the 2024 Donegal Rally. Image Credit: D Harrigan/Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
Stage 1 of the 2025 Donegal International Rally has set the table for a titanic battle at the front, as defending Donegal winner Callum Devine and European Rally Championship driver Jon Armstrong set identical times.
Both men finished the Malin Head stage in a time of 7:26.8, setting times identical to the tenth of a second.
Derry man Devine is looking to make it a Donegal Rally three-peat after overall victories in 2023 and 2024 in his Skoda Fabia R2.
Meanwhile for Armstrong, the Fermanagh man has already converted his Junior WRC and ERC pace into a fine start to his first Donegal International Rally aboard a Ford Fiesta R2.
Reigning European Champion Hayden Paddon finished his first Donegal stage in third overall, just 1.9 seconds off the time set by Devine and Armstrong.
He will be piloting the same Hyundai i20 R2 car that he took to the ERC title last year this weekend.
The top 5 positions on the first stage were completed by David Kelly in a super effort to take his VW Polo to P4, and last-year’s rally runner-up Meirion Evans piloting his Toyota Yaris R2.
Drivers have just set off for Stage 2, Mamore Gap, with a first trip over Coolcross before the second run of Malin Head later this afternoon.
Here is the Rally schedule for today:
Mamore Gap (SS2): 12:05pm
Coolcross (SS3): 12:55pm
Malin Head 2 (SS4): 14:25pm
Mamore Gap 2 (SS 5): 15:30pm
Coolcross 2 (SS 6): 16:15
