The upsurge in Irish Forest rallying continues as over 80 crews line up for tomorrow’s Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally in Ballyvourney.

Not surprisingly, Derry’s Marty McCormack and his Mallow co-driver David Moynihan in their Tiger Risk liveried Skoda Fabia R5 ran out comfortable winners of the Donegal Forest Rally, round three of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

The Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship is likely to have a new leader after tomorrow’s Abbey Hotel Donegal Forest Rally, the third round of the campaign as series leader and former champion Josh Moffett has withdrawn his entry due to business commitments.

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) and co-driver Emmet Sherry led from flagfall to win the Murroe based Lyons of Limerick Forest Rally the penultimate round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

The sibling rivalry between Monaghan’s Sam and Josh Moffett scaled new heights on the Tuffmac Trailers Lakeland Rally, the fifth round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship in Enniskillen.

Antrim’s Desi Henry (Skoda Fabia R5) and his Millstreet co-driver Liam Moynihan netted their second win in this season’s Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship as they cruised to victory in the Mallow based Crafted Furniture & Joinery Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, the fourth round of the series.

Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) won the Dickson Insurance Fivemiletown Spring Rally in Tyrone. Co-driven by Jason McKenna, they finished 48 seconds ahead of the Mitsubishi of Omagh’s Mark Donnelly/Stephen O’Hanlon. Another Omagh crew, Niall McCullagh/Ryan McCloskey (Mitsubishi Evo VI) were third.

Dubliner Robert Barrable, better known for his rallying forays, will compete in this season’s British GT Championship where he will team up Northern Ireland’s Wilson Thompson in a Team HARD-prepared Ginetta G55 GT4.

Motorsport

Killarney driver Rob Duggan (23) is one of three young aces vying for a top prize in Irish rallying that will be decided on tomorrow’s Bushwhacker Rally in Omagh.

Yet another Moffett show, the latest episode on the TuffMac Trailers Lakeland Rally, round five of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship saw the Monaghan born brothers Sam and Josh dominate proceedings during Saturday’s eight stages in the forests of west Fermanagh.

With consistent performances on the opening four rounds of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, London-based Cork driver Michael O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) makes another trip across the Irish Sea for tomorrow’s TuffMac Trailers Lakeland Rally in Enniskillen. The event also counts towards the Northern Ireland McGrady Insurance and Carryduff Forklift Championship.

The fourth round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally in Mallow, proved to be an epic contest between Cork driver Owen Murphy (Mitsubishi) and his Limerick co-driver Anthony Nestor, who managed to overcome the spirited challenge of Monaghan’s Jost Moffett/John Rowan (Mitsubishi) to claim a 7.4 second victory.

Local hero Garry Jennings (Subaru EWRC) heads up the entry for the Todd’s Leap Ulster Rally that begins this afternoon in Enniskillen.

Motorsport: Three young drivers — Josh Moffett, Owen Murphy and Desi Henry — will battle it out in tomorrow’s Glens of Antrim Rally to become the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally champion.

The Dunlop National Rally Championship will be decided tomorrow, with the nine-stage Downings Bay Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally determining whether reigning Dunlop champion Declan Boyle, current leader Clonmel’s Roy White (MG ZR) or Welsh ace Hugh Hunter (Subaru WRC) will win the prestigious Vard Memorial Trophy.

Dunlop champion Declan Boyle is an absentee from Sunday’s third round encounter the Seven Oaks Hotel Carlow Rally.

There was a dramatic finish to the Sean Conlon Memorial Rally, round four of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship in Mitchelstown as Lisburn’s, Philip Morrow and co-driver, Simon Morrow (Mitsubishi) edged out Cork pair, Owen Murphy/James O’Brien (Mitsubishi) by three seconds.

The West Limerick Forest Rally, the opening round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, ended with a dramatic final stage victory for County Down’s, Philip Morrow and co-driver, Johnny Hart.

Valvoline National Forest Rally Champions, Cork pair, Owen Murphy/James O’Brien (Mitsubishi) won the Mallow-based Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, the fourth round of the series after finishing 6.3 seconds ahead of Colin Britton/Arthur Kierans with former champions, Pat O’Connell/Mark Wiley just nine tenths of a second behind to complete a Mitsubishi top three.

Garry Jennings (Subaru 555), current leader of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, could take a major step towards the title in tomorrow’s Mallow-based Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally.

The quality of the entry for tomorrow’s Carrick on Suir based Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Forest National Rally Championship bodes well for the series that earlier this week wrapped up a television deal.

THE Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship heralds the beginning of the Irish rally season tomorrow with the Abbey Hotel Donegal Forest Rally making its debut in the series.

A CASE of back to the forests for the title protagonists of this season’s Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship that resumes tomorrow after an extended break due to the cancellation of the fourth round in Donegal last month.

WITH victory in the opening two rounds of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, Cork driver Owen Murphy aims to continue the trend in Sunday’s third round, the Lismore-based Munster Moonraker Forest Rally.

TOMORROW’S second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, the Willie Loughman Carrick-on-Suir Rally features the participants that served up a cracking tussle on the opening round in Mitchelstown a few weeks ago.