MOFFETT CLOSES IN ON ITRC IN ULSTER
Josh Moffett will aim to seal the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in Ulster this weekend in a 100-car entry for the Newry-based event.
Though Moffett has won four of the six rounds to date, the double points on offer in Ulster mean that the title is still to be settled.
A quality entry will tackle stages into the dark on Friday evening before a further 70 stages miles on Saturday. The highlight of Friday’s action will be the 15-mile Bronte Homeland stage as the rally marks its 45th anniversary.
Event director Philip Murray confirmed that the Saturday stages have not been used on the Ulster Rally for 15 years.
Moffett only needs to complete the Friday or Saturday leg of the Ulster in his Hyundai i20 R5 as the leading championship driver to repeat his and co-driver
Andy Hayes’s first title in
2018. Welshman Meirion Evans (VW Polo R5) still has a slender chance of winning the ITRC crown if Moffett hits a disaster in Ulster. However, Alastair Fisher has decided to withdraw his entry as his VW Polo GTI R5 won’t be ready in time.
Fisher’s title hopes came to an end on last month’s Cork 20 Rally when he retired on the final day after hitting a bank and damaging the Polo’s suspension.
Competing in Ulster in an alternative car was an option but Fisher decided against it, believing it would put him on the back foot.
“We won’t be competing in
Ulster this year,” Fisher confirmed. “We were unable to secure some parts in time and with the short duration between the events, running with another car was not ideal. We are disappointed not to be supporting the event.”
Another non-starter for Ulster is Callum Devine. Like Fisher, he needed to win down in Cork last month to hand himself better odds of being in with a shout of clinching a first-ever title.