Star-studded entry for eagerly anticipated Longford Moto Stages rally

The Triton Showers-backed Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship kicks off this weekend with the Admore Air Conditioning Corporation/Longford Arms Hotel Midland Moto Rally.

The Longford town-based rally has attracted a star-studded entry list of 150 crews from all over Ireland and beyond.

Leading the 150-car entry list is defending Triton Showers National Rally Champion Josh Moffett and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes.

The Monaghan driver won six National rallies on his way to his second title at the wheel of his Hyundai i20.

His brother Sam, armed with the latest version of the Hyundai, starts at two and will have the 2022 Triton Showers National co-driving champion Keith Moriarty alongside adding extra intensity to the sibling rivalry.

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Three-time British champion Matt Edwards makes a welcome return to Ireland and while he is unlikely to register for points he will add another level of opposition to the already very competitive field. He will be co-driven by Mallow’s Dave Moynihan, a member of the well-known rally family from North Cork and will drive Limerick driver Keith Lyons’ Ford Fiesta Rally 2.

Derry’s Callum Devine and his Kerry co-driver Noel O’Sullivan Jr will be likely frontrunners too. A fuel starvation issue hampered their progress on day one of the recent Galway International Rally but they set creditable times over the Sunday stages.

Former triple Triton champion Declan Boyle makes a welcome return to the series driving another Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
The remainder of the top ten includes a veritable list of rally winners like Darren Gass, (Citroen C3) who finished third in the Triton-backed series last season and Stephen Wright who won the opening round of the Northern Irish Rally Championship recently.

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West Cork’s Daniel Cronin is committing to the Triton Showers National Rally Championship for the first time and will drive the same Volkswagen Polo his brother Keith used to finish second in the 2022 British Rally Championship.

Niall Maguire another triple champion in 1999, 2002 and 2004 rounds off the top ten but many of his competitors from the past can be found further down the entry list. These include Aaron MacHale (2007 champion) and Tim McNulty (2011 champion)

Paul Barrett, son of Triton Showers boss Kevin, starts at 12. He will defend the National Group R title in his Triton liveried Citroen C3.

The modified section is sure to be keenly contested too. A fleet of Ford Escorts driven by former British champion Daniel McKenna, multiple Scottish champion David Bogie, Galway National Rally winner Mark Alcorn and former Bily Coleman award winner Dessie Keenan are among the top seeds in this category.

Top local drivers include event sponsor Paul Rowley who returns home from New York for the event to drive a Ford Fiesta R5; Tommy Doyle from Kenagh in a Hyundai i20 R5 and Sam Johnston from Longford in a Honda Civic.

The event’s associate sponsors are Shane Quinn Rallying, Faughnan Construction and McCormack Contracting.

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Parc Ferme is at St Mel’s College while scrutiny takes place on Saturday at Midland Engineering in Templemichael Business Park, which will also host the event’s service park.

A ceremonial start will take place in the town on Saturday at 7 pm. The first car will leave Parc Ferme at 8:45 am on Sunday ahead of nine stages in the Drumlish, Ballinalee and Moydow areas.

Full details of the rally are published in the official programme that is on sale in several locations in the town including the event headquarters, The Longford Arms Hotel.