Moffett to debut in brother’s Fiesta
“We’ve been talking about it for a while and with the Sligo event not a round of the Dunlop series this time, it is the perfect opportunity,” said Josh.
“We did a test earlier in the week and while we didn’t get that much mileage in, it was enough to get the confidence and go ahead with the decision to compete in Sligo. I just couldn’t describe how I felt after the test, the car is just unbelievable.”
Although he hasn’t set any targets, the Billy Coleman award nominee reckons he will just see how it goes and hopefully won’t be that far off the pace after the opening loop.
Tyrone’s Paddy McVeigh and Frank Wray both in Subaru WRC’s are the top two seeds with Sam Moffett (Mitsubishi) next off the start line ahead of Josh.
Other entries include Mitsubishi pair Pat Kirk and Martin Doherty and Tom Curley (Subaru WRC). The first of the day’s nine stages around Manorhamilton begins at 10.23am. In a sporting gesture to those affected by cancellation of the final three stages of last year’s rally due to safety precautions and also to avoid road damage, the Connacht Motor Club have reduced the entry fee by €100.
Organisers of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (TROA) has still to decide on the inclusion of West Cork Rally as a full counting round of next season’s series.
According to TROA sources it appears that the Cork Motor Club are trying to renegotiate the offer, the terms of which were firmly set.
Meanwhile, in motor racing, the Dunlop Irish Formula Vee Festival at Mondello Park promoted by the Irish Formula Vee Association and organised by the County Kildare Motor Club have targeted to raise €20,000 for the LauraLynn Foundation.
Eight races are down for decision following qualifying tomorrow morning the grids for the Crowne Plaza Dundalk Formula Vee Championship races will be decided.
The festival kicks into action on Sunday with three heats followed by two semi-finals from where the top fourteen drivers will make it to the final. To add further spice to the affair a number of the top grid positions for the final will be reversed, the actual number of positions will be decided by a draw just minutes before the grid is formed.
Wicklow’s Adam McCauley is in a rich vein of form, four straight wins has put him at the top of the standings albeit equal with opening round winner Kevin Grogan, who has scored in all five rounds to date. Multiple Irish and British Formula Vee champion racer Ray Moore from Portarlington will give the young guns plenty to think about while there is intense speculation in recent days that seven time Vee champion Dundalk’s Brian Hearty is set to make a comeback after an absence of some 10 years.
Aside from the Formula Vee races the support programme includes Boss Ireland, Irish Touring Cars, Fiestas, Formula Sheane, Mondello Park GT’s, Historic’s and Ginetta Junior Ireland. Admission is just €10 per car and spectators can also support the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice by purchasing a souvenir event programme.
Sunday’s races will be broadcast live on Mondello.TV which will include information on how people can support the nominated charity from home.
Elsewhere, defending 5 Star Catering National Autocross Champion Derek Deane will compete in Sunday’s third round of the series in Campbell’s Pit, Grancore, Clonakilty that is organised by the Skibbereen and District Car Club.
The Roscommon driver will have plenty of opposition including former Irish Forest Rally champion Joe MacHale, who will debut a new Buggy.
His son Padraic along with current series pacesetter Monaghan’s Derek Mackarel (Opel Corsa) and the Cork trio of James Lucey, Jimmy Lucey and Brian O’Mahony, are all competing in Specials. The first of the three timed runs gets the flag at 11.30am. The event also counts towards the Munster Autocross Championship and the Carbery Plastics Skibbereen & District Car Club Championship.
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