Title bid in ruins for Barrable, no Ulster
Robert Barrable’s Irish Tarmac Rally Championship bid has taken a huge setback, as the Dublin driver will miss the Ulster after breaking his leg on the Donegal International Rally.
The Ford Fiesta R5 driver is seven points off title leader Josh Moffett on dropped scores, but Barrable’s dropped score is taken by a zero, whereas Moffett drops 12 and Sam Moffett eight. Therefore Barrable would need both Moffetts to have poor scores on the Ulster and Cork ‘20’ to have a realistic chance.
A stone pierced the door of his Fiesta in Donegal after a crash into a concrete rail, causing substantial damage. Damien Connolly needed a stitch in his face after being hit by debris.
“I’m not going to the Ulster, the doctor won’t sign me off,” said Barrable. “We decided I’m better off giving it a miss, which is a pity.
“It’s a round of the British Championship, it would have been good to see what our pace is like and go from there.
“I’m just going through recovery, taking it easy now. It’s been in a brace. I’ll be ready for Cork and we’ll see [about the championship] from there.”
Barrable took an ITRC victory on the Rally of the Lakes, and a pair of thirds in West Cork and the Easter Stages. The retirement in Donegal is his only DNF.
He switched from a Hyundai i20 R5 to a Fiesta at the start of this season.