Following the postponement of the Monaghan Rally in April, the Triton Showers National Rally Championship returns this weekend for the Carlow Stages Rally. Round three of the series covers nine stages across the Carlow-Kilkenny border.
Josh Moffett (Monaghan) and Keith Moriarty (Limerick) lead the field at car one in their Toyota Yaris. Moffett holds 34 points at the top of the table, having secured the first-ever national win for the GR Yaris Rally2 in Nenagh. He carries a slim lead into the weekend.
Starting at car two is the defending Carlow champion Daniel Cronin and Padraig O’Donovan. This all-Cork crew is in a race against time to prepare their Toyota after gearbox and handbrake issues forced a retirement at the Rally of the Lakes just over a week ago. Cronin opted to forfeit the top slot to ensure car one started the rally, despite the mechanical uncertainty.
The Boyle family brings a three-car attack to the southeast. Michael Boyle and Dermot McCafferty lead the charge at car three in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. Michael is the son of former national champion Declan Boyle, who follows at car five with Patrick Walsh (Wales) in another Skoda. Completing the trio at number six is Michael’s brother, Matthew Boyle, joined by Gary Byrne in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. Matthew has been the most consistent of the family this season, taking a third-place podium in Mayo and finishing as the top Boyle in Killarney.
Starting at car four, but currently second in the title race, are Shane Quinn (Longford) and Stephen Reynolds (Leitrim). The Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew sit just two points behind Moffett after recording their first-ever fastest stage times and a maiden podium finish in Nenagh.
Kevin Eves and Chris Melly start at seven in an all-Donegal entry. Eves continues his transition into the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 following a third-place finish in Birr. He is followed by Cathan McCourt (Tyrone) and Barry McNulty (Fermanagh), who return to the national trail in a Skoda for the first time since the season opener.
Welsh visitor Meirion Evans is joined by Ger Conway (Kerry) in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, while Jason Dickson and Martin Brady make it an all-Tyrone crew at car ten in their Ford Fiesta. They are followed at eleven by Keelan Grogan (Leitrim) and Stephen Joyce (Galway) in another Ford Fiesta. Both Dickson and Grogan arrive in Carlow searching for their first-ever podium finishes.
Local driver David Condell (Carlow) and John McElhinney (Donegal) head the local contingent at car 14 in a Skoda Fabia. In the modified ranks, the all-Donegal crew of Kevin Gallagher and Ryan Moore bring the Darrian T90 GTR at number 18.
The O’Brien Cement Ford Escort Mk2 Challenge runs as a separate contest. Defending title holders, father and daughter Frank and Lauren Kelly (Tyrone), lead this section at car 25. The challenge features a deep field of Mk2 experts including Jonathan Pringle (Meath), Gary McPhillips (Monaghan), Johno Doogan (Monaghan), Dessie Keenan (Monaghan), and Damian Toner (Armagh). Colin O’Donoghue (Kerry) and Christopher O’Callaghan (Limerick) also join the Mk2 pack.
The battle for the Billy Coleman Award nomination in Class 2 sees Oran England (Cavan) and Darragh Mullen (Sligo) as the ones to watch. England has been the benchmark so far, taking dominant wins in both Mayo and Birr in his Peugeot 208 Rally4. Ben McFall (Antrim) and Mark McGeehan (Derry) lead the chase, hoping to break England’s streak. Harry Dorrian (Donegal) is the leading Junior in his Honda Civic.
The action begins this Sunday with the first car away at from Carlow Mart at 9:40 am. The same venue hosts scrutineering on Saturday while the service park is located at the Plazzamount Quarry in Bagenalstown.
Full route details and entry lists are in the official event programme, on sale locally this week.
