Josh Moffett wins West Cork Rally

Moffett and  Andy Hayes took a 23.3 second victory over Welsh aces Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes in their Hyundai i20 R5 on the Sam’s Cross stage of the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally in Clonakilty. Picture: Martin Walsh.

Embroiled in a tense battle for most of what was an absorbing Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally, Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Hyundai i20 R5) and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes took a 23.3 second victory over the VW Polo GTi R5 of Welsh aces Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson with the Ulster crew of Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble, also in a VW Polo GTi R5, 15 seconds further behind in third.

With the top six through the opening stage at Ardfield all within a 5.2 second time frame, it offered the possibility of a close contest. However, it was early leader Devine and Moffett that became the constants through the stages that were bathed in sunshine. They shared fastest times, Devine on rugged coastline stage around Ardfield and Moffett through Hayes’ Cross after which Devine led by a second. Third spot changed more frequently than the sun hid with Evans holding the spot initially only to be replaced by McCourt, who had already made a fine opening with second spot on the first stage. On the repeat of both stages, Jonny Greer (Citroen C3) displaced them both as top seed Alastair Fisher (VW Polo), who stalled on S.S. 2, remained sixth.

Tweaking the suspension, Moffett dominated the afternoon stages at Sam’s Cross and Rossmore to move into a 1.8 second lead after S.S. 6 only for Devine to regain top spot a stage later and ended the day with a 4.4 second lead over his rival, who endured a soft brake pedal on the day’s final offering. 

Evans, who admitted he made a slow start, improved his pace even though third place continued to be a fragile possession with Fisher, McCourt and Greer all hovering within 4.1 seconds of the Welshman. 

Local honour was also a fluctuating position with overnight incumbent Daniel Cronin (VW Polo) surviving a high-speed spin, he was seventh and 9.1 seconds ahead of Owen Murphy, who was still trying to find the capabilities of his Fiesta R5; David Guest (Fiesta R5) the quickest of the trio initially, suffered brake issues and was 20.5 seconds further away.

On the opening stage (Ring) of the second leg, Tyrone’s Cathan McCourt crashed his Fiesta R5 out of fifth place. A stage later as Moffett took the lead by just two-tenths of a second, Evans had closed to within eight seconds of second spot. Fisher lost ground with two overshoots. On S.S. 11 Moffett, despite a close call, stretched his lead to 7.3 the biggest lead since the start with Devine still well in the hunt. Evans stalled at a hairpin and dropped fifteen seconds further behind.

Devine’s rally ended on the road section to the final trio of stages when his Fiesta stopped with gearbox issues instantly promoting Evans into second and Greer, who battled for second on the closing three stages. Unfortunately, Greer had a slight excursion on the final stage and squashed the exhaust and retired leaving Fisher take third followed by the Cork trio of Cronin, Guest and Murphy.