Corking finish as Sam wraps up rally title Triple Crown in style

SAM Moffett capped an incredible season with victory on the Cork ‘20’ International to cement his position as Irish Tarmac rally champion.

Just by starting the final round in Macroom he was already assured of the premier title in Irish rallying, but he and co-driver Karl Atkinson brought their R5 Ford Fiesta back to finish as resounding winners by over four minutes from Alastair Fisher and Gordon Noble in their Fiesta. Joe McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney in their Skoda Fabia were third, just seven 10ths of a second behind.

But the win was far from as straightforward. Indeed, Sam Moffett and his younger brother Josh were locked in a fierce battle throughout the two days and it seemed Josh was on course for his second win in a row in Cork when he led by just over two seconds going into the final stage yesterday evening.

But in his efforts to stay in front Josh crashed out, leaving his brother to take the victory and complete the Triple Crown — the first driver to win all three of Ireland’s major rally championships in a single season.

It proved to be another difficult Cork rally for Fisher who had lost his chance of challenging for the Tarmac title when his Fiesta stopped on the first stage of the Ulster Rally. It caused him heartache again on Saturday when it cut out on the fifth stage, leaving him stranded for some four minutes.

In sixth place overnight, he clawed his way back, stealing past McGonigle by the tiniest margin on the final stage and inheriting second place with Josh Moffett’s exit.