Donagh Kelly bids for four wins on the trot

There is another capacity entry for a round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with the Midland Moto Rally in Roscommon providing the latest episode of the eight round series. 

Several drivers are capable of victory in Roscommon where the rally, run by the Midland Motor Club, joins the new format of the national series for the first time.

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus) has won all three rallies he has contested this season – Galway, Abbeyleix and West Cork.

In terms of the Triton Showers series he is a point behind championship leader Garry Jennings (Subaru WRC), who was second overall in Abbeyleix but scored an additional three points as the quickest driver through the first Power Stage in Irish rallying.

Champion Declan Boyle (Subaru WRC), who finished down the order in the opening round due to a time consuming puncture, will want to bounce back in the best possible fashion while there’s a slight doubt about Jennings taking his place.

Monaghan’s Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC), Clonakilty’s Kevin Kelleher, Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett, all in Subaru WRC’s are amongst the top ten along with Peadar Hurson (Subaru WRC), Roy White (MG ZR) and Steve Wood (Subaru WRC).

White is the only non-WRC driver in the top ten and having failed to finish in Abbeyleix will be aware of the need to secure a good result as will Castleisland’s Alan Ring (Subaru WRC), who failed to finish in Abbeyleix.

In the Modified category Cavan’s Chris Armstrong (Ford Escort) is the leading entry and in Group N — Tyrone’s Aidan Wray (Mitsubishi) is the top seed.

Longford’s Tommy Doyle will campaign a Skoda Fabia S2000 and Scotland’s Eaun Thorburn (Ford Fiesta R5) are both using the rally as a shakedown for next week’s Discover Northern Ireland Circuit of Ireland Rally. Indeed, it will be a similar experience for Swede Emil Bergkuist and German duo Julius Tannert and Marijan Griebel in Opel Adam R2 cars, who will have their first taste of Irish roads on Sunday where the first stage starts at 10.20am.

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland motor racing season clicks into gear at Kirkistown today with the 500 MRCI races that will feature opening rounds of the Irish and Northern Ireland Formula Ford Championships. Antrim’s Jonny McMullan, the Dunlop Young Driver of the Year winner will be in action in the Motorsport Ireland supported car.