Donegal Rally: Kevin Gallagher opens big lead as locals battle for places in national

Kevin Gallagher has a firm buffer now as he continues the defence of his national rally title at the Donegal International Rally.

Gallagher set some blistering times and scorched away from the chasing pack on day two, opening up a lead of one minute and 25.1 seconds.

Gallagher's lightweight Darrian T90 GTR was always fancied around Carnhill, Garrygort and Knockalla, but the fact that they're, literally, in the driver's back garden came as an added boost.

“We pushed on as hard as we good,” Gallagher, who has Ryan Moore on the pace notes, told Donegal Live.

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“We kept it clean and it was a good day for us. We had a good run.

“The grip was that inconsistent it was hard to commit and push. We are going as hard as we can safely.

“We have a good cushion. They were home stages and Sunday will be familiar enough. They're nice stages too.”

At the end of the opening day, Gallagher had a 10.3 second advantage to Kevin Eves. Bit by bit on Saturday, Gallagher roared clear, leaving prospective challengers in the slipstream.

Gallagher insists that he has to keep the foot to the board on Sunday.

He said: “It doesn't change much. We have to keep the concentration. If we backed off, you wouldn't know what would happen. We've had no problems at all, it's been all good. They're all going good so happy out.”

Eves arrived off Carnhill with a damage quarter panel after a brief visit to a hedge.

The Pettigo man was always realistic once Gallagher had the lead after the first six stages.

Kevin Eves in the Corolla Twin Cam.

Eves has endured difficulty in Donegal previously, but he has a neat lead over third-placed Damien Tourish going into Sunday's final six stages.

“Kevin is doing his own thing,” Eves said. “The reality is you just won't chase Kevin over Knockalla.

“We're happy to get this far. It's the first time we're on the competitive edge going into the last day.”

Tourish took a glance at the Escort and smiled that he 'enjoyed that' as day two came to its close. “Full set wets and bone dry road,” said the Cloghan man after the third run around Garrygort.

“If we make it to the end now, I'll be happy enough.”

The battle of the locals, as always, endures in Donegal, and this year is no different.

John Bonner and Jonny Baird are sixth overall with only 16.8 seconds separating them, Patrick McHugh and Pauric O'Donnell in seventh and the eighth-placed crew of the McGettigan brothers, Kyle and Dale.

“It's been a mixed bag,” McHugh reckoned. “We were slow to get going, but we've picked it up. We're having a good battle between a few of us. We'll push on now. The pace is serious.”

Kyle McGettigan noted that he and the brother had 'a couple of excursions' during Saturday, but in the cockpit for the first time in 12 months he's delighted with the run so far.

He said: “It's a year since I was in the car and it's hard. You need seat time to really make it work.

“The stages are very challenging. The road is wet one minute and dry the next.”

The weather, much like happenings on the road, remains unpredictable.