The 2-time European Rally champion was the headline entrant after a last-minute name to stand-in for Matt Edwards, however ERC podium finisher Armstrong and British Rally Championship duo Evans and William Creighton additionally introduced a unique edge to Eire’s greatest occasion this 12 months.
Devine upheld native honor within the wake of Edwards’ and Keith Cronin’s choices to take a step again from rallying in the intervening time, and though the battle was fierce all through the weekend, 2023 Irish Tarmac champion Devine led for all however considered one of Donegal’s 20 levels.
Extremely, Devine and Armstrong shared the lead after the opener earlier than Armstrong nicked forward by simply 0.9s after the second. However a rear diff drawback aboard his Ford Fiesta Rally2 robbed Armstrong of half a minute and left him on a comeback mission.
Devine in the meantime steadily opened up a bonus whereas others discovered their ft. Armstrong, in flip, set the timing screens alight to finish the opening day 20.7s off the lead, with Paddon, Evans and Creighton separated by simply three seconds in second, third and fourth.
Outlining what could have been potential, Armstrong once more blitzed the remaining on Saturday morning’s first check to right away seize second, and open up dialog of the win being firmly on on his first go to to Donegal. However but extra mechanical drama crushed these goals and in the long run a spirited drive went unrewarded as he went off on the final stage of the rally.
