Senior TT winner Michael Dunlop and local co-driver Rob Fagg had an up-and-down run in the Joule Donegal International Rally last weekend, finishing the three-day event in 18th place in the national section, fourth in their class.

With the pair not having contested a rally together since they crashed out of last November’s PokerStars Rally, they opted for a steady approach on the opening leg on Friday afternoon.

Nonetheless by SS4 they were into third place in their class, 22nd overall in the national event.

Unfortunately on the penultimate stage of the day, SS5, that early work was undone, as Fagg explains:

’The back end just got away on some gravel and the nose just dropped into a ditch.’

Fortunately spectators were at hand to help, but around 50 seconds were lost, dropping them to 30th overall and seventh in the class in the DEN Motorsport-run MkII Ford Escort.

Saturday followed a similar pattern, a good start followed by another off-road excursion on SS9.

’We hit something in the road near the start of the stage as we entered a tight left over a jump, which bent the steering and on landing fired us into the scenery,’ the Kirk Michael co-driver recalled.

Once again spectators were on hand but this time it cost just under four minutes, leaving the pair down in 59th position and 18th in the class.

With the steering sorted at service in Milford, they climbed nine places in a single stage, Knockalla, and a trouble-free run through the rest of the event saw them continue an impressive fightback.

’The Sunday pace was great, we were back on it by then,’ said Rob. ’Considering how little chance Michael gets to drive the car, it showed again the potential he has.’

CHRIS BOYDE