Motorsport: Concluding weekend for multiple championships as Triton era ends

The late Kevin Barrett (Subaru S14 WRC) was a great supporter of Irish rallying and through his Maynooth based company Earthridge International was the title sponsor of the Triton Showers National Rally Championshp since 2015. Photo: Martin Walsh.

The curtain drops on three different championships this weekend and for Sunday's Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship it's a final farewell for title sponsor Triton Showers. 

Since 2015 and with the 2020 and 2021 seasons cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, six drivers were crowned champions in the Triton era with Monaghan's Josh Moffett winning an unprecedented five times.

The Triton sponsorship was provided by the late and popular Maynooth rally driver Kevin Barrett (whose untimely death last May brought great sadness), a director of Earthridge International, holders of the Irish franchise for the iconic brand.

With neither of the top two championship crews on the 150-plus entry (and with Moffett having already secured the title) the most interesting aspect of Sunday's rearranged Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally is the late switch by Ballylickey's Daniel Cronin from driving his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to an IN Motorsport-hired Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. 

Although the West Cork driver won the two-day Wexford Rally last month he's not enjoyed much success with the Japanese marque in the Triton series this year where fifth place (Galway Summer Rally) is his best result to date.

Donegal's Kevin Eves (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Eamonn Kelly (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) are the top two seeds with Cronin at three followed by Tyrone's Darragh Cairns (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Clonakilty's Cal McCarthy (Citroen C3 Rally2), who has Ballincollig's Brian Duggan on the pace notes. 

Meath's Tom Holton (Ford Fiesta) is the only other Rally2 car in the top ten. Ford Escorts in the hands of Cavan's Jonny Pringle, Killarney's Conor Murphy and Cavan's Rodney Wilton and former Triton champion (2016) Clonmel's Roy White (MG Rovers S2000) complete the top ten.

According to the official rally programme the first of the day's nine stages (Powerstown) starts at 8.39am, however, the Digital Notice Board (the official notice board) on the Sportity App schedules it for 9.15am.

The European Rally Championship also concludes this weekend with the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal where five-time FIA World Rally Championship event winner Kris Meeke will compete in a Michelin-shod Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 under the Toyota Gazoo Racing Caetano Portugal banner. 

The Dungannon native was an impressive winner of the penultimate round, the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion and while he has experience of this final round, albeit under the guise of the 2024 and 2025 Portuguese championship, he remains calm ahead of the 17-stage gravel encounter.

“I enjoy that part of the world and I’ve obviously spent a bit of time in Portugal over the last few years. We’ve managed to win Fafe the last two years, but everyone knows those stages very, very well. I’m quite familiar with the terrain and looking for a good result." 

Long-term co-driver Scotland's Stuart Loudon returns for the event as Meeke adds: “This is proper, proper rally terrain on gravel and some of the best stages in the world. It’s always the same in rallying, you have to expect the unexpected. The weather at this time of year is normally wet, you have to be prepared for a lot of mud and tricky conditions. The last few years has been really, really tricky with the rain but it can be a bit different if it’s still going to be summer temperatures.” 

There's a short 2.92km stage this evening with eight stages tomorrow and Sunday.

Clonmel's Casey Jay Coleman (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) will utilise the rally as preparation for a full ERC bid in 2027.

Interestingly, Kilrea's Josh McErlean and his Killeagh co-driver Eoin Treacy will campaign the new-generation WRC 2027 Fiesta Rally2-WRC Kit with the number 500 on the doors. 

In what is described as an "Extra" - fully authorised by the FIA, they will run in the middle of the ERC field.

In the third championship finale, the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship sees three drivers vying for the title on tomorrow's Lewis & Hunter Cambrian Rally. Championship leader Max McRae (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) will be trying to emulate his father Alister, who won the title in 1995. 

His grandfather Jimmy is a record-breaking five-time winner while his late uncle, Colin also won the series.

Welsh aces Osian Pryce and Meirion Evans stand in his way in what is a winner-takes-all scenario over the nine stages that includes a double run over the iconic Clocaenog and Brenig tests. 

The Welsh pair are both competing under the Castrol MEM Rally Team and both will steer Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars.

The Junior British Rally Championship is another winner-takes-all one, between Antrim's Ben McFall (Ford Fiesta Rally4) and Luke Constantine (Opel Corsa Rally4).