A record number of previous winners have entered the Rose Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally – the second round of the Triton Showers Irish National Rally Championship.
Seven past winners of the Kerry Motor Club event are on the entry list but ironically, the top seed has never won in Tralee.
Defending Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally champion Josh Moffett (Hyundai I20 R5) from County Monaghan and his Limerick co-driver Keith Moriarty will have the hour of leading the 150-car field away on Sunday morning.
Ahead line nine classic Kerry tests including three runs over the daunting Desmond’s Grave, one of the most popular and challenging roads in Ireland.
Winners of the Midland Moto Rally in early March Callum Devine (Derry) and his Killarney co-driver Noel O’Sullivan start at two in their Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
They led the opening round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship from start to finish.
The first of the seven previous winners, Darren Gass, starts at three. The Armagh-based Citroen C3 Rally 2 driver won the Circuit of Kerry in 2011. He and co-driver Barry McNulty are in third place in the 2023 Triton Showers National Rally Championship.
Donegal’s Declan Boyle won the rally in 2014 and 2006. He and his Welsh co-driver Patrick Walsh return in another Polo Giti.
Walsh is also the first of many overseas competitors in the rally.
Waterford’s Andrew Purcell will have London-based Kerry co-driver Shane Buckley on the notes in their Skoda Fabia R5.
Both Walsh and Buckley and many more will be fighting to take home to London Irish Motor Club Perpetual Shield which is presented to the highest-placed overseas competitor in the event.
Gary Kiernan and John McCabe top the Modified entry in their Ford Escort, one place ahead of Mark Alcorn and Donal McAleney in a similar car. Both drivers won the national section of the first two international rallies in Ireland this year.
Other top modified drivers include Ed O’Callaghan from Limerick and Donegal’s Kevin Gallagher in a Darrian T90 GT9r.
The nine-stage rally starts at 8:30am on Sunday, there will be a service halt at the Rose Hotel after every three stages at 10:55am and at 1:45pm ahead of the finish celebrations at the hotel around 4:30pm.
