M OFF ET T SM I SS CORK AS J OS H TAKES THE TITLE

A poor entry at the top of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship on the Cork ‘20’ Rally this weekend has gifted Josh Moffett the title, his second of the year.

The Irish Forest Rally champion joins fellow title fighting drivers Sam Moffett and Robert Barrable on the sidelines this weekend, meaning there are no ITRC podium finishers in frontrunning cars on the entry list.

Barrable broke his leg in June on the Donegal International Rally, which hampered his charge, while Sam Moffett has focused more on business commitments this season.

With all three non-entering, Moffett takes the title having claimed maximum points on the first two rounds of the series; the West Cork Rally and the Easter Stages.

He adds that to the Irish Forest Rally Championship, but could fall short of Irish rallying’s hat-trick, combining the Tarmac, Forest and National titles. His brother Sam was the first to achieve the feat last year, but Declan Boyle is favourite to scoop the National title.

Jonny Greer will start the event as car number one and, although he won the Down Rally earlier in the year and is a constant threat for top threes, he’s yet to score a podium in the ITRC this season.

Daniel Cronin – brother of four-time British champion Keith – and Meirion Evans in his second start in a Hyundai R5 make up the three leading R5 entries on the event. Evans debuted the car on the Wexford Stages earlier this month and took a second place overall.

In his fight to retain the Irish Tarmac Modified championship, Toyota Corolla driver Kevin Eves takes an eight point lead into the finale, with John Bonner still in with a shout in second in his Ford Escort Mk2.

Gary Mcnamee sealed the Junior title on the last round, but returns in his Honda Civic.