MOFFETT RECLAIMS GROUND IN IRISH NATIONAL SERIES
Ford fiesta driver closes in on championship lead after tipperary glory
Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally Organiser: Tipperary Light Car & Motor Cycle Club When: August 12 Where: Clonmel, County Tipperary Championships: Irish National Rally Championship; South East Rally Championship; Midland’s East Rally Championship. Stages: 9. Starters: 83.
Josh Moffett survived an anxious time before claiming victory in the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, round four of the Irish National Rally Championship.
Leading throughout, his advantage was cut to 3.4 seconds prior to the final stage after his Fiesta lapsed onto three cylinders through SS7 and SS8. However, it was restored to normal for the powerstage and he duly claimed victory by 7.8 seconds. Title rival and current series leader Donegal’s Declan Boyle (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) was second with Clonmel’s Roy White in another Fiesta RS WRC – all running in Class 20 as opposed to Class 7 in previous rounds – one minute and 10.5 seconds further adrift in third.
Moffett set the best time on SS1 near Cahir and led Boyle by 11.8 seconds, but Boyle tweaked the suspension set-up after SS1 and punched the fastest time on the other two stages. His gains were relatively small however, and Moffett led by 10.4s at the end of the three-stage loop.
White was subdued, lacking in confidence and commitment and he was third, 32.3s behind Boyle. Joe Mcgonigle (Mini John Cooper Works WRC) and late entry Daragh O’riordan (Fiesta RS WRC) were in hot pursuit.
Donegal’s Stuart Darcy (Darrian T90) led the two-wheel-drive contingent with Cavan’s Chris Armstrong (Escort) 5.7 seconds away as the duo sandwiched the Ford Fiesta R5 of Cork’s Daniel Cronin, who broke an anti-rollbar and had to rely on the ingenuity of his service crew to effect repairs as he had no spare available.
As the temperatures increased, so too did Moffett’s pace and having replaced third gear, he extended his advantage to 22 seconds. Boyle clouted a bank on SS4 and spun on the next.
Moffett’s late drama heightened the interest, but with the best time he took the additional point from the powerstage and closed to within 18 points of Boyle. Interestingly, they are level when the dropped score is taken into account. Meanwhile, White netted third after he was given an amended time for a sporting gesture on SS8.
A final-stage puncture robbed Armstrong (Escort) of the Modified victory as Darcy took the spoils. Waterford’s Brian O’keeffe (Mitsubishi Lancer E9) won the Motorsport Safety Group N category from Maynooth’s Paul Barrett (Lancer E10) and Jason Black (Toyota Starlet) won the Junior section.
Results:
1 Josh Moffett/ Keith Moriarty (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 55m19.7s; 2 Declan Boyle/james O’reilly (Fiesta RS WRC) +7.8s; 3 Roy White/james O’brien (Fiesta RS WRC); 4 Joe Mcgonigle/ Ciaran Geaney (Mini John Cooper Works WRC); 5 Daragh O’riordan/ Mikey Walsh (Fiesta RS WRC); 6 Daniel Cronin/ Shane Buckley (Fiesta R5); 7 Stuart Darcy/ Patrick Brides (Darrian T90); 8 Johnny Jordan/ Paddy Mccrudden (Toyota Starlet); 9 Kevin Barrett/ Sean Mullally (Subaru Impreza WRC); 10 Adrian Hetherington/ Gary Nolan (Ford Escort Mk2).
Class winners: Barry Hennessey/ Stephen Scallon (Honda Civic); Andrew Sheehan/ Lisa Knox (Honda Civic); Paul Manton/ Adam Coffey (Citroen DS 3 R3); Brian O’keeffe/ Sean Hayde (Lancer E9); Cronin/ Buckley; Barrett/ Mullally; Kevin Flanagan/ Vanessa Hamilton (Austin Mini Cooper); Jason O’brien/ Sarah Lawlor (Civic); Colin Roche/ Derry Long (Starlet); Sean Moynihan/ Mac Kierans (Escort); Jordan/ Mccrudden; Darcy/ Brides; Mcgonigle/ Geaney; Colin Philpott/ Declan Casey (Suzuki Swift); Jason Black/jack Mckenna (Starlet).
BRISCA F1 semi final By Colin Casserley Organiser: Incarace Where: Birmingham Wheels When: August 11 Starters: 47
Lee Fairhurst dominated the second of the BRISCA F1 semi finals to book his place on the front row of the Skegness-based World Final in September.
Fairhurst’s only disappointment came after the race, when he lost the toss of the coin to determine who starts on the inside in the big race.
Light rain turned heavy as the drivers made their way onto the starting grid. Some of the racers elected to change tyres as the rain continued before the start of the race. On the drop of the green flag, Fairhurst passed polesitter Frankie Wainman Jr to take the lead on lap one and was never headed.
Paul Hines and John Dowson Jr, both in borrowed machinery, struggled to get to grips with the conditions in their unfamiliar cars. They might have dropped back into the pack but both took a top-10 finish to secure a place in the World Final.
Wainman also began to drop back with Dan Johnson, Nigel Green and Chris Cowley heading in the other direction towards the front. With the surface giving drivers problems with grip, it appeared the drivers were happy with a place in the final and the positions remained static over the closing stages.
“I came here to win the race, like I do in every race I compete in,” said Fairhurst. “People tell me that the front row is not the place to start a World Final, but the thought of not trying to win the race never entered my head.”
Second-placed Johnson said afterwards: “I am happy with second. It’s not a bad place to start the race. The conditions here were difficult and it was hard to see, so finishing in a qualifying place was important.”
Defending World Final winner Green rounded out the podium places, ahead of Cowley.