Donnelly second to take Tarmac title

Eugene Donnelly finished second in the Cork 20 International Rally in his Skoda Fabia to claim this season's Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, writes RTÉ Sport's John Kenny.

It was a record equalling fifth Irish crown for the Derry man who went into the race in the knowledge that even a fifth-placed finish would be good enough to lift the title.

Gareth MacHale won Sunday's final round in Cork in his Ford Focus, which was his second of the year, but he was trumped by Donnelly who took wins in Galway, the Circuit of Ireland and the Jim Clark.

Donnelly now joins Austin MacHale as the leading Irish Tarmac championship title holder on five wins apiece.

At the end of the 15 stages, Gareth MacHale had a one minute 9.4 second advantage from Donnelly with Dennis Cronin, uncle of Keith Cronin, the new British Rally Champion, taking third place in his Impreza, 4 minutes 6.5 seconds in arrears.

'It's a wonder feeling,' said Donnelly

'When I started rallying, I never dreamt that I would take one title, never mind winning five.

'To equal Austin MacHale's record is an honour and a testament to the work that the crew and my co-driver Paddy (Toner) put in this season.'

Owen Murphy won Group N in his Mitsubishi Evo 9 and was fifth overall, while Alistair Fisher, who was fourth in the showroom class, did enough to take the Group N Irish title.

Meanwhile, in the World Rally Championship, Sebastian Loeb won the Rally of Spain, the penultimate round of the season.

The Frenchman beat his Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo by 12 seconds, with BP Ford Abu Dhabi driver Mikko Hirvonen third.

The result gives Citroen the Manufacturers' Championship, while Loeb trails Hirvonen by a single point in the Drivers' table ahead of the final round, Rally GB later this month.

Ireland's Eamonn Boland was 24th overall in his Subaru Impreza.