Current Irish Tarmac Championship leader Josh Moffett believes he can carry his recent winning streak into the second round of the series in Clonakilty this weekend.
Moffett triumphed at the Championship opener in early February, mastering two days of wet and windy weather on Ireland’s west coast to claim a maiden victory at the Galway International Rally.
Then, earlier this month, the Hyundai i20 R5 driver scored maximum points at the Irish National Rally Championship curtain raiser, leading the Mayo Stages Rally across each of the event’s eight special stages to win by nearly half-a-minute.
“We have had a very strong start to the year,” said Moffett, the Tarmac champion from 2018. “To go to Galway and win there in those conditions, that definitely ranks as one of my best performances.
Classic stages including ‘Ardfield’, ‘Ring’ and ‘Ballinascarthy’ all feature in the two-day itinerary at the West Cork Rally, with these helping to attract another strong line-up in the international field.
Claudy’s Callum Devine (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Trillick’s Alastair Fisher (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5), Carryduff’s Jonathan Greer (Citroen C3 Rally2) and Welsh visitor Meirion Evans (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) are among the top seeds.
Moffett, though, is unfazed and feels his recent performances are proof of the gains he has made with his Hyundai having initially struggled to find the Korean supermini’s sweet spot. “There is more to come,” he said.
“When I first got the i20 I really didn’t get the chance to compete in it as much as I wanted to due to COVID, the results weren’t what we had been hoping for, but in recent months everything has started to come together nicely for us.
“I think we have definitely turned the corner on that front. The pace was really strong in Galway – people could see that by the times – but at no point did I think I was driving beyond my limits, that I might end up making a mistake in those conditions.
“The car worked perfectly in the wet and if it’s the same for West Cork that should suit us as we’ve really improved the car a lot on that front.
“If it’s dry it will make our job that bit harder as there is some work to do on the set-up but when you start the year well, you do everything to keep it going,” he added.
