With the Irish Tarmac Championship all wrapped up, all eyes will be focused on the National Rally Championship particularly in this weekends Clare Stages Rally.
it is four years since the Triton Showers-backed Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship last visited Clare. Between the pandemic and the new event rotation system, the last time the Liam Cleary Autoworld Clare Rally ran was in September 2019.
But it has been well worth the wait. Organisers Clare Motor Club have attracted a stellar entry that has both strength and depth.
The Triton Showers National Rally Championship enters the home straight this weekend and all of the title protagonists will be in Ennis for the penultimate round of the eight-round championship.
Leading the fray after six rounds are defending champions, Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty. The Hyundai i20 Rally2 crew have a 20-point advantage over Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan.
However, the Derry/Kerry crew has won the last two rounds in Sligo and Meath and when dropped scores come into play, they have started one less round than Moffett and Moriarty which suggests, mathematically, the advantage is maybe with the Volkswagen Polo Gti crew.
But anything can happen in rallying and it looks certain that the championship will go to the wire at the Fastnet Stages Rally in late October. Waiting in the wings, should any of the top two falter at this late stage, is former champion Declan Boyle in a Citroen C3 Rally 2.
The Donegal man is third in the championship standings, while co-driver Patrick Walsh is fifth having missed the Raven’s Rock Rally and will start eighth on the road.
Joint fourth-placed Daniel Cronin and Declan’s son Michael start at four and six respectively in a brace of Polos.
At three is championship newcomer Desi Henry, after finishing third on the ALMC he has decided to enter Clare too with a view to contesting the full series in 2024.
The overall modified category is a two-horse race between the Darrians of Kevin Gallagher and Kevin Morris while Cavan’s Tim Flood leads the Ford Escort Mk2 title race. The National Junior Rally title has been decided in favour of Jack McKenna who cannot be overhauled, even with two rounds to go.
The nine-stage rally gets underway at 9am Sunday morning, with the Service Park at the Quin Road Industrial Park in Ennis.
