McNulty faces stiff opposition
The Meath driver took his maiden title last year with victories in Galway, Donegal, Ulster and sealed it with second place on the Cork 20. In Galway, he had a runaway victory, finishing over four minutes ahead of the opposition. However, this time round, the calibre of opposition has certainly been rocketed up a few gears by the presence of three former Irish Tarmac champions. Gareth MacHale, who won the 2010 series, former five-time champion Eugene Donnelly and Derek McGarrity, a double champion, makes the rally a much better proposition for competitors and fans.
With fears of a small entry, the organisers reduced the event to a one-day rally, which brought a reduction in organising costs and entry fee. The response from competitors took the Galway Motor Club by surprise and the number of entries exceeded expectations. One other major factor was the offer of 50% bonus points for the ITC competitors. Any competitor contemplating the series just couldn’t afford to skip the Galway International. The Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA) are also offering 50% bonus points for the Cork 20, rescheduled for October 6-7. Success in both rallies will yield 48 points, yet, the winner of the Donegal International Rally (a three-day event) will only receive 16 points.
Clearly stating he would prefer a two-day rally in Galway, McNulty said: “The whole Irish Tarmac Championship needs to be thought out better. The TROA should be talking with competitors, the whole thing needs a revamp.
“It will be full attack from the word go at Galway. The suspension has been rebuilt and anything that needed to be done, has been done.”
Meanwhile, after an absence of 16 months, Gareth MacHale returns to rallying, and Galway is a great stomping ground for the MacHale dynasty.
“I don’t know what my pace will be like as it’s been a while since I competed,” he said, “but I’m not going to Galway just to make up the numbers.”
The return of five times Tarmac champion Eugene Donnelly is a tonic for the series and he will give the MINI WRC its debut on the Irish roads.
Derek McGarrity, set to drive a Ford Focus WRC, had a great battle with McNulty on last year’s Ulster Rally but it remains to be seen how competitive be will be in his latest car.
Daragh O’Riordan has opted to hire the Peter Lloyd Subaru S14 and the quality of the entry will present him with the opportunity to judge his pace. The event will mark the maiden voyage of Kerry’s Thomas Fitzmaurice in his recently acquired Subaru WRC.
Meanwhile, Garry Jennings (Mitsubishi) leads the Group N contingent and can mix it with the WRC brigade. The reigning Tarmac showroom champion will be in ebullient form following his victory in last week’s Donegal Forest Rally. Alan Ring, also in a Mitsubishi, spearheads the opposition that includes Donagh Kelly, Sam Moffett, Josh Moffett, Daniel Barry and Stephen Wright.
Monaghan’s Daniel McKenna is the benchmark in the Modified category with fellow Escorts aces Gary McPhillips, Tom Flaherty, Mark Alcorn, Declan Boyle, Martin McGee and Michael Curran giving chase.
The spectator stage at the Dyke Road begins at 10am, the remaining stages are centred around Headford. The rally finishes at Eyre Square, Galway at 5.30pm.
Tomorrow night, the National Navigation Championship continues with the Skibbereen “100” Isles Navigation Trial. The 140-mile event is based at Harington’s Inn, Timoleague, with the first car away just after 9pm.
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