On home ground, Sam Moffett yesterday kept his unbeaten record in this year's Triton Showers National Rally Championship, with his Fiesta WRC leading the Co Monaghan MC's Four Seasons Hotel event from start to finish, leaving him 27 seconds clear of former champion Donagh Kelly at the end.
Moffett and his co-driver Karl Atkinson took an early lead of eight seconds over ex-title holders Declan and Brian Boyle on the opening stage, and increased this to 21 seconds over the first loop, with Kelly and Conor Foley having passed the Donegal cousins into runner up position.
After the second run through the three stages, the gap was three seconds larger, and while Kelly and Boyle disputed second position, Moffett and Atkinson cruised serenely on to another victory. Josh Moffett, the younger brother of the winner, was trying for three wins in a row in this rally, but he rolled his Fiesta on the second stage near Scotshouse, ending his day on the spot.
Veteran Niall Maguire, winner of a record seven Monaghan rallies, finished fourth, with his Impreza getting in among the Fords which dominated the top ten positions, while another local driver, Stephen Wright, was fifth ahead of defending champion Roy White from Tipperary.
Rob Dwane from Tulla, Co Clare, took a surprise win on the opening day of the Galway MC's Hillclimb weekend at the Corkscrew, with the 20 year-old having a dream debut on his first outing in a single seater car, seven tenths of a second quicker than double champion Joe Courtney. The Galwayman reversed the positions at Ballinalacken yesterday, 1.1 seconds ahead of his young rival, with Dubliner Rory Stephens taking third place each time.
Young Racing Driver of the Year Cian Carey showed that he has the speed to challenge for the UK Formula 3 Cup by setting fastest laps in two of the three races at yesterday's opening meeting at Donington Park. He qualified second for the opening race, but slipped to fourth at the finish. In race two, the Meath driver retired, but battled through the field from the back of the grid in the final outing to take an impressive fifth position.
