Sam Moffett’s pace and form could land him all three titles

Rallying across the three Irish championships is a rare feat but one Monaghan’s Sam Moffett is accomplishing.

Tomorrow, he sets out on the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, as the series leader following a split second win over his brother Josh in the opening round. The former Billy Coleman award winner leads the Triton National Rally series and he is only four points off the top of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship.

No driver has ever won all three championships in the same season but Moffett’s pace and form, it’s more than a possibility.

Within the last year he has raised his game considerably, his battles with Keith Cronin and Alastair Fisher in last year’s Tarmac series has been key to that increased pace.

Tomorrow, over eight stages in the Derrynasaggart Mountains where he will use his Fiesta WRC as opposed to the R5, he faces tough opposition from a field that includes Keith Cronin (Fiesta R5). The former triple British champion is using the Moonraker to gain more seat time ahead of this month’s Pirelli Rally.

The Ballylickey ace has intimated he is going to use various options of his DMACK tyres as a test exercise. On his debut in the car in February Cronin was third behind the Moffett brothers, it could be different on this occasion.

The Skoda Fabia R5’s of Derry duo Desi Henry and Marty McCormack and Josh Moffett (Fiesta R5) are other challengers. Henry, co-driven by Millstreet’s Liam Moynihan is the top seed and like McCormack (who has another Cork co-driver – David Moynihan) also in a Fabia R5 and Cronin will also use the rally as a test ahead of the next BRC outing.

Interestingly, Josh Moffett will use Sam’s R5 as his car is being ferried from the Azores following a third place finish in the ERC opener last weekend. The entry also features local man Gerard Lucey (Mitsubishi), who has racked up two fourth place finishes on this event over the last two seasons. Elsewhere, Adrian Hetherington (Toyota Corolla WRC), Darren McKelvey (Mitsubishi), Jonny Leonard (Mitsubishi) and Liam Regan (Peugeot 206) are the remaining top ten seeds of an impressive 80 plus entry while Monaghan’s Micky Conlon (Escort) heads the Modified category.

The morning’s itinerary is a double run over two stages on either side of the N22 while the afternoon stages are north of the N22.

Servicing after each pair of stages is at the Údarás na Gaeltachta Industrial Estate, Ballyvourney. The finish is scheduled for 5.10pm.

In the Tour de Corse, the first full tarmac event and round four of World Rally Championship, the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will use all three C3 WRCs with Rally Mexico winners, Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle heading the charge. Craig Breen/Scott Martin and Stephane Lefebvre/Gabin Moreau are alongside.

Limerick driver Ollie O’Donovan (Team RX Racing) created a piece of history last weekend in becoming the first Irishman to stand on the podium of an FIA European Rallycross Championship Supercar event when he took his Ford Fiesta to third in the opening round in Barcelona.