Motorsport Ireland

Josh Moffett & Keith Moriarty (Hyundai i20 R5) took a start finish win on the Bluebird Care Galway Summer Rally, but it was no easy task. They were pushed hard all day by Sam Moffett & James O’Reilly who only finished 11.2 seconds behind in the newer model Hyundai. They in turn were challenged by the Skoda Fabia of Eddie Doherty & Tom Murphy who were just 4 seconds further back in third place after nearly one hundred kilometres on competitive driving. Daniel McKenna & Andrew Grennan took the overall Group 4 Fabrications King of the Mark 2 as well as eighth overall. Stephen Greaney & Jonathan Folan (Citroen C3 Rally 2) were sixteenth overall and won the Conroy Cup for the best Galway Motor Club crew.

There was a competitive edge at the top of the entry list for the Galway Summer Rally with several drivers still in contention for the National Championship title. Josh Moffett led the way having reverted to his trusty Hyundai for the event with older brother Sam in the newer spec Hyundai following him at two. Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy at three have been one of the revelations of the year to date and was looking to put up a serious challenge to the Moffett siblings. After the first 10km stage at Ballynahowen there was little to separate the top three, with Josh holding a slender 0.7 second advantage over Doherty, with Sam just 0.8 seconds further back. Weather conditions were perfect with the roads dry, but that first stage saw two notable names sidelined. Paul Barrett was first to go having clipped a rock and broke the front suspension of his Citroen, coming to a halt at the third junction of the stage. Kevin Eves & Chris Melly did not even get that far, their borrowed Garry Jennings Fiesta blocked the first stage a couple of kilometres in. Damage was restricted to a rear wheel and suspension after a trip back to service, they rejoined the event in Rally 2.

The second and third stages at Kilconnell & Fohenagh saw Josh take a slender six second lead into service with brother Sam now in second place having edged ahead of Doherty. James Ford and Daniel Cronin were locked in battle for fourth place with Michael Boyle in sixth. Boyles father Declan was giving a debut to his new Skoda Fabia and survived an overshoot on the third stage but was starting to get used to the car. Steve Wood (Citroen) and James Stafford (Darrian) were the latest to join the retirements list, with both stopping on the third stage. Michael Boyle was another to shortly join the lost of retirements. The Group 4 Fabrications King of the Mk2 battle was a hot as expected, and Daniel McKenna was only four seconds clear of Jonathan Pringle with Conor Murphy just behind in third place.

The same pattern followed on the middle loop with the battle still raging between the top four, James Ford taking fastest time on the fourth stage to put pressure on Doherty in third place. Daniel Cronin was slipping back a little bit still holding fifth place overall. By the end of the sixth stage Josh was still leading by just under ten seconds from Sam, but only seventeen seconds separated the top four places. McKenna was still leading the Mk2s and held eighth overall, just over twelve seconds clear of Michael Carbin. The pressure was ramped up on the final loop as the threatened rain never materialized, but Josh had done enough to take victory. Doherty had closed in on Sam going into the last stage, but the older Moffett sibling had enough in hand to stay second. Fords challenge for the podium continued to the end but he fell short by just eight seconds. Daniel Cronin, Declan Boyle & Gary Kiernan took the next three places while King of the Mark 2 went to Daniel McKenna & Andrew Grennan with an excellent eighth place overall. Michael Carbin battled with McKenna all the way and eventually finished ninth as Conor Murphy was a late retirement, with Kevin Gallaghers Darrian rounding off the top ten. 148 crews started the event and there were 108 finishers.

Clerk of the Course Gary Leonard, thanked Sean Lyons from Bluebird Care for his generous sponsorship, Maurice Doherty of Domac Plant & Tool Hire for the use of their premises for Rally HQ, An Garda Siochana, Galway County Council Roads Department, Ballinasloe Mart, businesses and residents in the area and on the stages for all their help and support during and in the lead up to the event. He also thanked all the competitors who entered the event, and to all the team, officials, marshals, timekeepers who gave up their free time to help out on the event.

Photos by Kevin O'Driscoll

https://motorsportireland.com/Public/MI_News/2024/Galway-Summer-Rally-Review-2024.aspx

Galway Motor Club
Combilift Rallying

Rali Ceredigion Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy review

This prestigious event marks the seventh round of the FIA European Rally Championship, the fifth round of the Junior European Rally Championship, the British Rally Championship, and the sixth round of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup.

Despite facing challenges on Saturday including losing time with a puncture, Jon Armstrong and Eoin Treacy took their first-ever FIA European Rally Championship stage win on Sunday morning. The M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew finished sixth overall in the ERC category and second in the Sunday BRC rally.

Their M-Sport teammates William Creighton and Liam Regan scored a maiden British Rally Championship victory on Sunday. The rally counted as two separate rounds of the championship and after a difficult opening leg, they re-set for Sunday morning. Creighton suffered two punctures on the opening day and was later caught out by loose gravel, losing valuable time. Their BRC category win keeps their title bid on track ahead of the final round, The Cambrian Rally, in late October.

“Our win here today positions us well for the final round of the championship,” he said. ”Yesterday wasn't good for me, too many mistakes, and everyone in the team got behind me, thanks to them.” Creighton is now in a great position for a championship win heading to the final BRC round.

Former Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Devine and his co-driver Noel O'Sullivan were also competing in Wales. They achieved a remarkable top five finish in their return to the European Rally Championship. Competing in a Skoda Fabia Rally2, the duo displayed impressive speed and consistency throughout the event. The Irish pair set several top five overall times over the weekend as they narrowly missed a podium finish, falling just 20 seconds short.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Devine. “In fairness, it has been a lot to get my head around, it would have been a good result, but we made a wrong tyre choice in the last loop, big thanks to the team, absolutely delighted."

Devine hinted that he could make more European Rally Championship appearances in the future. Cork co-driver David Moynihan guided Matt Edwards to eighth overall. The Ford Fiesta Rally2 scored a fastest overall stage-time during the event.

Rally3
Eamonn Kelly, a contender in the Junior World Rally Championship, led the ERC3 category after the opening day. He and his co-driver, Rory Kennedy, made suspension adjustments throughout the day to optimize their performance. Their hard work came undone on Sunday’s second stage when they left the road and retired from the event.

Junior ERC
In the Junior European Rally Championship category, Aoife Raftery finished in seventh place and equaled her career-best ERC tarmac rally finish from the Barum Rally Zlin last season. Raftery and co-driver Hannah McKillop had to contend with ill handling car in the morning loop, but they made improvements at the midday service and their pace dramatically increased in the afternoon. She was particularly impressive during Sunday’s very wet final loop setting top five times in the Junior ERC class.

Rally4
Craig Rahill, the leader of the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series, prioritized Rali Ceredigion over the Galway Summer Rally and was the top Irish driver in the highly competitive Rally4 class after the opening leg. However, he and co-driver Conor Smith suffered disappointment on Sunday morning when the gearbox in their Ford Fiesta Rally4 failed on the road section to the day’s first stage.

The remaining Irish Rally 4 competitors saw very little action on Sunday. The two opening tests were cancelled due to previous incidents.

Ryan MacHugh and Arthur Kierans marked one of the biggest rallies of the young Donegal driver’s career with a seventh-place finish in the RC4 category of the international rally. He felt there was more to come over Sunday’s loop and he duly delivered by winning the Junior British Championship category, his second win of the season.

Kyle McBride and Darragh Mullen made their debut in the FIA European Rally Championship having been offered a wildcard entry on the eve of the event. The Donegal/Sligo crew finished third in the Stellantis Cup category. A puncture hampered progress on Saturday, and they admitted it took a while to get comfortable with their new Opel Corsa Rally4 after spending the earlier part of the season at the wheel of a Peugeot 208 Rally. He was holding second in the one-make championship ahead of the final stage, but the car developed an engine water leak at the start. The applied lateness penalties dropped him to third in the class.

Cian Caldwell and Liam Egan’s Fiesta Rally4 was battle-scarred after day one, but they held on to 13th place in the class in what was also their biggest undertaking to date.

Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock were in the running for Stellantis Cup honours but were also caught out on loose gravel and were unable to get their beached car back onto the road. They rejoined on Sunday morning under SuperRally rules.

Kalum Graffin and Mark McGeehan finished second in this category in their Peugeot 208 Rally4.

MIRallyAcademy
William Creighton
Jon Armstrong Rally
Eamonn Kelly Rallying
Aoife Raftery
Callum Devine
FIA ERC - European Rally Championship
British Rally Championship
Cian Caldwell Rallying
Keelan Grogan Rallying
Craig Rahill Rallying

Alex Dunne Racing rounds out his 2024 FIA Formula 3 season with a 5th place finish in Monza!

More Podiums for Byrne as Clio Cup returns at Magny Cours

Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year Jack Byrne Motorsport returned to the top step of the podium as the second half of the Clio Cup Europe Series kicked off at the Magny Cours venue in France.

The ex-F1 circuit was yet another new venue for Byrne to learn and with limited testing time on the Friday to get the eye in, every lap would be crucial to get familiar with the high speed track. Byrne had had a busy summer break both on and off the track and was determined to kick start the second half of the season in good form ahead of the first qualifying session on Saturday.

Having studied the data from Friday with his GPA Racing team, Byrne felt confident that he had the pace to challenge at the front. Despite not getting a crucial tow on his fastest lap, he would line up P12 on the grid for the opening race of the weekend, right in the middle of his Junior championship rivals.

As the race began Byrne made his way into the top 10 and was involved in a fierce battle for the Junior lead along with the Mid-Europe series which he is also contesting as part of the Clio Cup Series. Some contact with fellow Junior rival Damiano Puccetti dropped Byrne out of the top 10 and back down to P15, with his progress back towards the top 10 disrupted by a mid-race safety car. When the chequered flag flew he crossed the line in P12, taking 3rd place in both the European Junior and Mid-Europe overall categories while also winning the Mid-Europe Junior category.

Heading into Sunday’s qualifying session, Byrne was determined to hook up a better lap as the data showed a top 5 place on the grid was possible in the previous session. It all went wrong however as at the end of his first flying lap, a driveshaft snapped at the exit of the final chicane ruling Byrne out of the session and leaving him starting back in P27 for the second race of the weekend.

Knowing he had it all to do the Wexford man was looking to make one of his trademark first lap charges as the lights went out. Unfortunately his luck was well and truly out this time, as having made a number of spots off the line, a car spun ahead and came back into the pack of cars heading around Turn 1. In trying to avoid the errant car, Byrne made light contact with another car which unfortunately snapped a steering arm putting him out on the spot and ending his race there and then. The championship heads to Barcelona on September 12th-14th and Byrne is confident of a good showing as he has prior experience of the Circuit De Cataluyna having done a number of test days at the venue.

Jack Byrne #86 GPA Racing

“We just seem to be missing that last little bit of luck that every driver needs to succeed and that’s been the case this weekend, especially given what happened on Sunday. However, I’m very happy with the car and I know we have the pace to be challenging at the front if things go our way. A big thanks to all the team for a fantastic job as usual and to all my supporters and corporate partners for making it all possible. Hopefully we can put this pace to good use in Barcelona and bring home some more trophies!”

Jack Byrne is supported by Motorsport Ireland | Sport Ireland | O’Brien Cement | West Wales Rally Spares | David Byrne Auto Repairs | Slaney View Motors | Ignite Training and Consultancy

Alex Dunne Racing will start from P2 for round 10 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship in Monza this weekend!

The Galway Summer Stages Rally, the penultimate round of the Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship, is set to be a thrilling showdown as the title race intensifies. Read the full event preview here - https://www.motorsportireland.com/Public/MI_News/2024/Galway-Summer-2024-Preview.aspx

A record-breaking ten crews representing the MIRallyAcademy are set to make their mark on the international stage at Rali Ceredigion this weekend! Read more below

Record-breaking Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy contingent heads to Rali Ceredigion A record-breaking ten crews representing the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy are set to make their mark on the international stage this weekend at Rali Ceredigion, Wales.

Irish Rally driver Aoife Raftery selected for prestigious World Rally Championship’s Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Programme

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member Aoife Raftery has been selected as 1 of 15 female drivers to participate in the World Rally Championship's Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development initiative.

The programme, aimed at increasing female participation in the sport at the highest level, was launched for the first time this summer. The World Rally Championship promoter received applications from female rally drivers from across the world.
Raftery, who is currently competing in the Hankook Tires Junior FIA European Rally Championship, impressed the selection panel with her application, which included a detailed CV and a promotional video highlighting her qualifications.

“This means so much. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am going to give it my best shot,” said the Galway Motor Club member. “To represent my country on the world stage is an incredible honour. I am delighted to be selected for this amazing programme.”

From Craughwell, County Galway, Aoife is the only Irish driver to make the final assessment. The next phase of the Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Programme initiative will see Raftery participate in an intensive training camp at M-Sport Poland from September 16 to 18.

The training camp will involve a rigorous regime, including gravel and tarmac driving assessment, pacenote-making skills, and media training. She will join the other successful applicants, from a diverse range of motorsports backgrounds, representing 12 countries across three continents. Following the training camp, the 15 candidates will be narrowed down to three, who will then compete in the World Rally Championship's Central European Rally this October.

The ultimate prize, a fully-supported 2025 Junior World Rally Championship entry, awaits the standout performer of this event.

“Everyone in the team has put in such a massive effort and I want to thank everyone who has helped me get here,” she added. "It would not have been possible without the support of family, friends and the work I have done with the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.”

Meanwhile, Raftery continues her Junior FIA European Rally Championship campaign on Rali Ceredigion in Wales this weekend. A class win on the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship-counting Ulster Rally has set her up nicely for her second attempt at the Aberystwyth-based event.

“The Ulster Rally was great preparation and we had a strong result there that we can take forward into Wales,” she said.

Aoife Raftery is supported by Des Lyons Plant | Kenny Galway | O'Neill O'Malley Architects & Project Managers | Loughrea Auto Parts Ltd | Sean Fleming Motors | Quinn Hardware | KG Motorsport | MIRallyAcademy

The 2024 Bluebird Care Galway Summer Rally on September 1st will see the King of the Mk2 return for the 12th time. GRP4 Fabrications has very kindly come on board again to sponsor the category, which has been well supported down through the years. The roll of honour listing below shows stellar names winning, with Gary Kiernan having the best record of all in the West. This year’s event promises excitement with Es**rts entered by Daniel McKenna, Jonathan Pringle, Johno Doogan and Michael Carbin to name a few who will be battling at the sharp end of things.

Torsten Schmidt said “The idea came about back in 2010 for the King of the Mk2 when Eamonn Dervan and I, discussed the number of Mark 2 Es**rts in the county. It was decided to recognise and award the top Es**rt in the Galway Summer Rally, plus the winners of classes 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14. It has really taken off over the years and some top Es**rt drivers in the county have come to Galway to attempt to claim the King of the Mk2 accolade. The class awards bring inclusivity to Es**rt drivers right through the field”.

Gary Leonard, Clerk of the Course said “We are delighted to have GRP4 Fabrications on board again this year as sponsor of the King of the Mk2. Torsten and GRP4 Fabrications have been great supporters of Galway Motor Club for over a decade, and we are incredibly grateful for their support and look forward to many more years collaborating with them”.

https://motorsportireland.com/Public/MI_News/2024/Galway-Summer-Rally-PR2-2024.aspx

Jon Armstrong and Eoin Treacy were forced out of ERC Barum Czech Rally Zlin, the sixth round of the FIA European Rally Championship last Saturday after suffering a double puncture.

The M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew were setting the top-15 times in the highly specialised rally until their retirement. They returned on Sunday under SuperRally rules.

Armstrong punched in a series of top-ten stage times and gathered extra tarmac running data ahead of ERC Rali Ceredigion at the end of the month.

“Sunday has been more positive pace-wise, especially in the wet conditions in the morning. The afternoon has been close to the front runners. I think we can continue to grow and let's see what we can do in a couple of weeks’ time in Ceredigion,” said Armstrong.

The Czech event marked the start of a very busy period for Treacy.

Olijbwe Forests Rally
The Cork-based co-driver will join Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy patron John Coyne in the Olijbwe Forests Rally this weekend.

” I am looking forward to Ojibwe, it’s the most technical of the ARA championship rallies with a 2023 winning average speed of 95kph, compared with the fastest, 100AW, which had a 123kph winning average this year! There’s lots of driving in this one, with never-ending crests and turns on really smooth gravel roads, a real challenge for driver and co-driver alike, particularly if the weather turns wets,” said Coyne.

The Minnesota-based rally is the sixth round of the American Rally Association’s national championship. Coyne, currently fourth overall and leading the RC2 class in the championship, is driving a PCRS Rallysport Hyundai i20 N Rally2.

Treacy will return directly from the United States to rejoin Armstrong for the Welsh round of the FIA European Rally Championship. Two weeks later he and Coyne are back stateside for the Overmountain Rally in Tennessee.

MIRallyAcademy
Jon Armstrong Rally
John Coyne
Eoin Treacy
FIA ERC - European Rally Championship

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin displayed their Irish Tarmac Rally Championship credentials with a 15.4-second victory on Saturday’s 10-stage Ulster Rally. The Ford Fiesta Rally2 partnership recorded their second Ulster win together, building a strong lead on the demanding, technical stages surrounding Newry. Cronin’s consistency was crucial in his victory over recent Irish Tarmac pacesetters Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan, recording four stage wins and six second-fastest times over the event.

“It's good to get the win,” reflected Cronin. “We had a good start to the championship but the last two rounds didn't go great for us so it's great to get the win here today. They were really tough stages, conditions were mixed, and on that last loop I didn't think I'd have to push, but Callum started to push so we had to up it a bit again. I'm delighted with the result, they were some of the toughest stages you will come across.”

The Ulster Rally couldn’t have got off to a closer start with eight-tenths of a second covering the top four crews. Matt Edwards won a similarly technical Circuit of Ireland Rally earlier this year and he was fastest out of the blocks on stage one, 0.2 seconds up on Cronin.

On stage two, Cronin sought out a neat and tidy approach in challenging Banbridge North conditions. The approach worked as he went fastest by 2.6 seconds to edge ahead of Edwards. The Ulster Rally’s second test caught out two-time Tarmac Champion Josh Moffett. His Citroen C3 Rally managed to complete the test via a hedge and field. Lady luck was on his side as he survived without any damage but still dropped from third to fifth behind Callum Devine and James Ford.

The drama continued on Kilrea Hill as Matt Edwards’ early charge culminated close to the end of the Ulster’s third stage. His Ford Fiesta Rally2 clipped a bank, breaking a rear wheel on a trump stump in the process. The early retirement ends Edwards’ hopes of a maiden Irish Tarmac title. Devine grabbed his first fastest time of the day on the same test, although he was concerned about the wear rate of his Skoda Fabia Rally2’s soft compound tyres. Rain had been expected on the Ulster Rally’s second loop of stages but instead crews encountered dry asphalt. Devine could only manage the third-fastest time on Tyrone’s Ditches as Josh Moffett made it four different stage winners over the first four tests.

Cronin had also opted for soft tyres and he took a steady approach to stage five to manage the package. Unbelievably the Galway and West Cork winner was able to win the stage by over ten seconds to extend his rally lead. Completing the top three at the Ulster Rally’s halfway point, James Ford was glad to make it back to service after a collision with a pole on stage three. Moffett was hunting him down for the Citroen C3 Rally2 Trophy prize but remained ten seconds shy after a time-sapping overshoot into a bank on Babylon Hill. Ford strengthened his grip on third with a stage win on Shinn Bridge but his hopes of a maiden Irish Tarmac podium ended with driveshaft failure on the next Banbridge North test.

Saturday afternoon rain showers kept the lead battle interesting with Ireland’s famous shiny tar proving an ever-present threat. An attacking Devine took 5.2 seconds out of Cronin’s lead on stage eight but it wasn’t enough to unsettle Cronin over the final two stages. The Cork-Kerry crew’s latest success extends their Irish Tarmac Rally Championship lead to 15 points. They will travel to September’s Cork 20 Rally knowing a runner-up finish would guarantee them championship honours.

Moffett held onto third to move closer to Edwards in the ITRC standings and secure the top spot in the Citroen C3 Rally2 Trophy. Eddie Doherty upped his pace on Saturday afternoon to take fourth with Scottish visitor John MacCrone rounding out the top five.

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Aoife Raftery secured her first-ever Irish Tarmac Rally Championship class win on Saturday’s Modern Tyres Ulster Rally. Piloting her Peugeot 208 Rally4, the Craughwell-based driver dominated the class battle leading from start to finish.

The Ulster Rally served as a valuable tarmac shakedown for Raftery ahead of the ERC Rali Ceredigion in Wales – the fifth round of the Hankook Tires Junior FIA European Rally Championship – at the end of August. This was only her second Irish tarmac event of the year, as she has been focusing on gravel rallies across Europe.

The challenging wet and mucky conditions posed no obstacle for the Galway native, who consistently set the pace throughout the event. The Rally4 class in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is renowned for its fierce competition, making Raftery's achievement even more impressive. Together with co-driver Hannah McKillop, she not only clinched the class victory but also secured an impressive 24th overall and was the first front-wheel-drive car across the finish line.

“It has been fantastic, we had a great day, really enjoyed the stages and it is great to be back home, great preparation for Wales,” she said on the finish podium of Saturday evening. “The stages were great, thanks to everyone for running a great rally. We are really happy. We have put in a lot of hard work over the last few years. The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy puts in a massive effort, so it's great to come away with this win today.”

Raftery fended off a late challenge from fellow Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Cian Caldwell. He and co-driver Liam Egan were attempting to close the gap to the long-time leader when they were forced to retire their Ford Fiesta Rally4 two stages from home with mechanical issues.

“We were on the wrong tyres,” said Caldwell after the morning loop of stages. “We went for a wet and did not get the rain, I made a few silly mistakes too.”

Jack Brennan and John McGrath were forced to retire their Peugeot 208 Rally4 on the opening stage with gearbox issues.

MIRallyAcademy
Aoife Raftery
Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
Ulster Rally

Dust and fog, sunshine and rain. Over eight blisteringly quick stages across the Ballyhoura Mountains, the 2024 Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally delivered one of the most drama filled days in recent years, and it could play a massive role in the outcome of the 2024 Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship.

Based out of the Mallow Autograss complex, the Cork Motor Club event attracted a bumper entry of 104 starters, and the mood was buoyant heading into the quick forest and windfarm roads that criss-cross the Ballyhoura Mountains and deliver a remarkably compact route for competitors.

With the dust fluing and the sun shining, it would be Gareth Mimnagh & Barry McCarney who would go fastest over the opening Ballinaboola test, but the impressive start would be short lived as the pair would retire on Stage 2, as would Championship leaders Jordan Hone & Paul Hone, their Ford Fiesta R5 leaving the road in a high-speed accident but thankfully the crew walked away unharmed.

The tightness at the top of the time sheets was remarkable, with every stage seeming to bring a new leader. Vivian Hamill & Andrew Grennan led at the first service halt, before Niall McGonigle & Caolan McKenna jumped up to the top after stage three, but by halfway it would be the VW Polo GTi R5 of Jason Mitchell & Paddy McCrudden who held a lead that they maintain right to the finish.

Having seen first time winners in both opening rounds this season, Mitchell & McCrudden are the latest to join the exclusive list of winners in Irish Forest Rally Championship history, and by the end of the 82km Cork Forest Rally they had 10.4 seconds to spare over their InSport teammates Niall McGonigle & Caolan McKenna.

Finishing in third place, Derek Mackarel & Eamonn Creedon now lead the 2024 Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship standings with three of the six rounds now complete, but Niall McGonigle & Caolan McKenna have really launched themselves back into the title hunt after also finishing on the podium in Round 1.

In the 2WD battle, it was a truly titanic battle all day between the big-powered RWD machines that are perfectly suited to the fast and smooth Cork stages, and the experienced stars who put on a remarkable show. Having claimed victory in Killarney & Carrick, all eyes were on Shane McGirr & Denver Rafferty in the Lada, but they would be finally beaten by an incredibly impressive drive by David Crossan & Ben Teggart.

Trading tenths of seconds all day, the Es**rt of Crossan & Teggart would return home victorious by just 4.6 seconds, and with it secure the Cork Forest 2WD title for Crossan seven years after he last won it guided by the late Damien Fleming in 2017. The 2WD podium would be rounded out by Sam Stewart & Stephen Peoples in another Es**rt, and they would also grab the ‘Drive of the Day’ by beating Crossan by 0.8 seconds on Stage 3!

In the J1000 battle, it would by top step of the podium again for Oisin McShane & Fabian McShane as they continue their remarkable debut year in the series, they would hve 20 seconds to spare over Tommy Cronin & Derek Butler with David Travers & Andy Purser finishing a fine third, a result massively deserved after a run of bad luck on previous rounds.

After a brilliant Cork Forest Rally, the 2024 Sligo Pallets Forest Rally heads North for a duo of high-speed classics, with the Lakelands Forest Rally up first September 7th before The Bushwhacker Rally on September 21st, before we wrap up the season with the Clare Forest Rally on October 5th.

Picture by : Cian Don

Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship
Cork Motor Club