Brian Hoy partnered Callum Devine to fourth overall on the final round of the Junior World Rally Championship in Turkey.

In car breaking conditions the pair survived mechanical failure and a roll to bring their Ford Fiesta home just outside the podium placings, recording two fastest stage times on their way to their best result of the season.

“It was tough. The hardest rally I have ever done,” said Brian, who co-drove for Callum on the final two rounds of the series.

“Our aim at the start of the weekend was a podium finish and three fastest stage times. We missed our third fastest stage time by 0.6 seconds after a turbo pipe blew off before the end of the stage, and we just missed out on the podium but it was a great learning experience.”

Turkey was making its debut in the World Rally Championship, and the conditions provided a unique challenge with rough gravel stages and blistering heat making it a gruelling event.

“The first stage on Friday morning we had some eye opener,” admitted Brian.

“There were stones bigger than six inch blocks. They were massive and they could be around any corner. It was so hard to know. The stage was 38 kilometres and we were sure there were a lot of cars that weren’t going to make it through.

"We were quite cautious because we knew if we didn’t retire on the rally we would have had a good finish. We were a long way off the pace. We thought then on the next pass over that stage that we would just go for it, and it worked. We were fastest overall.”

Their first fastest stage time of the championship was a huge boost after they had struggled to match the pace of the front runners on the previous round in Finland.

“Turkey was a more level playing field because no one had been there before,” said Brian.

“In Finland a couple of the boys had done it before and a few were from Estonia which is only next door. We knew here we had a chance and it was good for us to see that we were able to contend for the fastest times. It was a bit demoralising in Finland when they were taking 20 seconds a stage off us, but this time our true speed showed.”

On stage seven their hopes of a class win were all but extinguished when a collision with a rock on the road led to them breaking a driveshaft, stranding them on the stage.

They were able to return the next morning under Super Rally rules, but they were soon in trouble again.

“We had a light roll on stage nine,” explained Brian.

“On a slow corner we went in a bit too far and caught a bank of clay, and it flipped us over. We only lost two minutes because we got her pushed over and were able to go on. It was all cosmetic damage but she damaged the turbo. We got it fixed in service although we got a 10 second penalty for being a minute late out. Then we set fastest time on the last stage on Saturday so it was a roller coaster day.”

A steady run on Sunday saw them emerge with a fourth place finish, with the result also earning Callum fourth overall in the Junior driver’s championship.

The pair now hope to contest an event closer to home, with a drive in an R5 car on the Donegal Harvest Rally on the agenda.

The dream remains a return to the world stage but Brian admits there is nothing secured for next season.

“We would like to come back next year, but we don’t know yet,” he said.

“It’s a lot of money and that is what it all boils down to. We will try to work on something over the winter."