Galway Summer Stages Rally Preview
Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty won in Tipperary last month.
The Galway Summer Stages Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship, is set to be a thrilling showdown as the title race intensifies. The top seeds for the Ballinasloe-based rally are the defending champions, Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty. Despite a mixed season so far, their recent victory in the Stonethrowers Rally has put their title defence back on track. They will be determined to bounce back and reclaim the championship lead, and it will be interesting to see if they will drive their Citroen C3 Rally2, as per the entry list, or their tried and tested Hyundai i20 R5 at the event.
Moffett's brother Sam and co-driver James O'Reilly have shown their potential and are another crew to watch. They finished second in Tipperary and now share third in the championship with his brother. Eddie Doherty has been consistently strong throughout the season and is another serious contender for the title. His second-place finish in the Circuit of Munster has put him in a strong position, and he and co-driver Tom Murphy will be chasing their maiden national win this weekend. The Skoda Fabia R5 driver prepared for the Galway event by finishing a strong fourth overall on the recent Ulster Rally.
The recent Stonethrowers Rally saw a significant shake-up in the standings, with Daniel Cronin and Donnchadh Burke taking the lead after a strong performance. Cronin's victory in Carlow in May has marked him out as a serious title contender. He will be looking to maintain his momentum and secure his first national championship title. The top overseas crew is James Ford and Neil Shank in their Citroen C3 Rally2. Making a welcome return is former champion Declan Boyle and co-driver Patrick Walsh, who is expected to debut a newly acquired Skoda Fabia Rally2 on the nine-stage event.
Gary Kiernan has been a consistent performer throughout the season and could be a dark horse in the title race. Donegal's Michael Boyle and Dermot McCafferty start at eight in their Volkswagen Polo R5. Paul Barrett, the Triton Showers boss, has also been a regular frontrunner in his Citroen C3 Rally2. The top ten is completed by Kevin Gallagher and Ryan Moore. The Darrian T90 GTR crew were the Modified category winners in Monaghan and will be hoping to repeat that feat in Galway. Other modified crews to look out for include James and Amy Stafford (Darrian GTR), Conor Murphy and Sean Collin (Ford Escort), and Daniel McKenna and Andrew Grennan (Ford Escort Mk2). One interesting entry is that of Kevin Eves, the modified category frontrunner, who is set to make his 4 wheel drive debut at the rally in a Ford Fiesta. Michael Carbin and Dean O'Sullivan, the current leaders of the Modified category in the Triton Showers-backed championship, are also on the entry list.
The Galway Summer Stages Rally will be a crucial round in determining the final outcome of the championship. With so many talented drivers and unpredictable conditions, it promises to be a thrilling event. In the absence of Craig Rahill who is making his European Rally Championship debut this weekend, Gareth Deazley heads the Billy Coleman Award-counting Class 2 entry in Galway. The Ford Fiesta Rally4 driver’s main opposition will come from Matthew Boyle (Peugeot 208 Rally4), Tommy Moffett (Ford Fiesta Rally4) and local driver Dylan Donoghue (Ford Fiesta Rally4). The Junior entry is headed by the local crew of Jason Gorhan and John Kilmartin in their Honda Civic. Leader of the Triton Shoers National Junior Rally Championship Jordan Jervis is the third seed in the class for Sunday’s rally.
The stages are a loop of three stages to be attempted three times just west of Ballinasloe, with the opening test at Poppyhill near Aughrim scheduled for 9:20 am. Service is at Ballinasloe Mart before stage one and after stages three and six. The first car is due in at Parc Ferme which is located at Poolboy Industrial Estate Ballinasloe at approximately 4.25 pm.
TOP FIVE OVERALL AFTER ROUND 6
1 Daniel Cronin 87
2 Eddie Doherty 85
3 Josh Moffett 76
3 Sam Moffett 76
5 Gary Kiernan 57
Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Championship 2024 Calendar
1. Mayo Stages Rally 3rd March
2. Monaghan Stages Rally 7th April
3. Birr Stages Rally 21st April
4. Carlow Stages Rally 19th May
5. Circuit of Munster 2nd June
6. Stonethrowers Rally 14th July
7. Galway Summer Stages 1st September
8. Donegal Harvest Rally 12th October