Donnelly takes podium on home rally

Pirelli Star Driver Mark Donnelly has finished third overall after a polished drive on his home event: the Todds Leap Rally, round four of the British Rally Championship. Osian Pryce took the overall win, marking the Welshman’s first ever win in the coveted British rally series.

This year’s Todds Leap Rally NI moved ship from its usual base in Antrim to the picturesque Fermanagh Lakes and brought with it a brand new set of challenges. After a rain-soaked ceremonial start in Enniskillen on Friday afternoon, the drivers faced 15 fast all-asphalt stages set over two days.

Tom Cave proved himself as the man to beat during the rally’s opening leg, netting a string of stage wins and carving a 39.4 second advantage after six stages. But it wasn’t to last as the Welshman lost control of his Citroen DS3 R3T on the day’s closing stage and was forced to retire. Local favourite Alastair Fisher also retired after succumbing to the treacherously slippery road conditions on stage two.

Cave and Fisher returned under Super Rally regulations on Saturday but both had incurred hefty time penalties, which knocked them out of winning contention. This left the path clear for Osian Pryce who drove his Citroen DS3 R3T to victory, becoming the youngest winner of a BRC round since Jari-Matti Latvala back in 2003.

Speaking at the finish in Enniskillen, rally winner Pryce – who also took part in last year’s Pirelli Star Driver shootout – commented: “The Irish drivers were definitely the favourites but our win just goes to show that you don’t have to be a local to win on the Ulster. We’ve had a winning combination this weekend, thanks to my co-driver Dale and all the guys – it’s been a brilliant rally for us.”

Proving a model of consistency once again, former Pirelli Star Driver Jukka Korhonen finished runner-up, 50.9 seconds adrift of rally winner Pryce. Despite having limited experience on asphalt, Korhonen has come on leaps and bounds this year and continues to lead the overall BRC drivers’ standings with just two rounds remaining.

Donnelly started Saturday’s stages in seventh place but a superb drive in the Citroen DS3 R3T, including three fastest stage times, saw the Northern Irishman come home in third place.