Galway: A Rally2 field fit for Irish Tarmac fairytales
If you thought 2022 was good, you better brace yourself for the 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The 2023 Galway International Rally is set to be one of its best ever with an influx of top cars and crews braced to tackle Ireland’s annual season opener.
Josh Moffett has reigned supreme on rallies throughout Ireland over the past 12 months but will face fresh opposition in his bid for Irish Tarmac title number three.
Victories in Galway, West Cork, Donegal, and Cork ensured Moffett and Andy Hayes were crowned 2022 Irish Tarmac Rally Champions. Their on-stage commitment and bravery stemmed mid-season counters from Callum Devine and Alastair Fisher’s pair of Volkswagen Polo R5s.
Moffett had mastered his underdog Hyundai i20 R5, throwing it through Ireland’s twisting bends in a domineering fashion that eventually whittled away his rivals’ hopes of championship success.
The demands of 2022’s intense Irish Tarmac Rally Championship took their toll on Moffett’s nearest rivals. Despite clinging onto a small shot at ITRC success, Devine opted out of last year’s Ulster Rally finale.
The Derry driver came out of his all-or-nothing attacks in Donegal and Cork without a victory. But Devine is back for Galway. With his Polo profiting from a winter rebuild the former European Rally Championship star could raise Irish rallying’s pace to an even higher level in 2023.
Meanwhile, the presence of Alastair Fisher and Gordon Noble will be missed in Galway. However, the 2022 Circuit of Ireland winners could well appear on rounds later this year.
Fisher’s omission leaves Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson as the only other 2022 international rally winners on Galway’s entry list.
The Welshmen were well in the running for victory on a wickedly wet Galway Rally 12 months ago. Moffett and Hayes pipped them to the post with Evans’ maiden international win eventually coming on August’s Ulster Rally.
Evans’ consistency secured second in the championship last year. His ability and determination will have him aiming for one better this time around.
Cathan McCourt and Jonathan Greer threatened the aforementioned drivers last year. Both will drive Citroen C3 Rally2s, a car that is taking a shine to the demands of Ireland’s unique roads.
Another Ulsterman whose winning credentials can slip under the radar is Desi Henry. The seven-time rally winner in 2022 also retired from sizeable leads on the Circuit of Ireland and Ulster Rally.
Henry’s slot on the Galway entry list is a hopeful sign he’s committing to more Irish Tarmac events this time around. One would have to put him in the title mix if he enjoys better luck aboard his Ford Fiesta Rally2 this year. First, though he must tick off that maiden international rally victory.
Spectators will get the chance to see M-Sport’s latest Rally2 Fiesta in Galway as Keith Lyons makes his debut behind the 2022 specification Ford.
The Irish Tarmac Championship welcomes back its 2017 champion, Sam Moffett, to the international field in Galway. After a rear-wheel-drive flavoured sabbatical from Rally2s, Moffett makes his return in Galway hoping to bridge the roll of honour gap that now exists between him and brother Josh.
The 33-year-old has never won in Galway but you can never rule Moffett out of contention even if ITRC’s opener will be his first time behind the wheel of a Hyundai for the most of 12 months.
Moffett steps in Hyundai’s Rally2 i20 and is feeling confident in the car after a test in the weeks leading up to Galway.
As if the international field needed any more spicing up – Robert Barrable, reigning Irish Forest Champion Patrick O’Brien, and the ever-improving Jason Mitchell add more interest in a Citroen, Skoda, and Volkswagen respectively.
For all of Ireland’s present-day Rally2 heroes, those heading for Galway’s ditches will be watching ITRC’s past champions with eager eyes. Declan Boyle, Garry Jennings, Gareth MacHale, and Tim McNulty all conquered famed Irish Tarmac seasons in its World Rally Car era.
Tarmac titans, forestry champions, an ERC podium finisher, multiple rally winners, and a menacing big brother… Josh Moffett may have set the bar in 2022 but he has a heck of a task ahead of him if he is to repeat his Irish rally rule in ‘23.
What will be in Galway’s opening chapter of the 2023 Irish Tarmac tale? Whatever is, I am sure it is going to twist and turn its way into a classic. It has all the ingredients after all.
Photos by Gavin Woods and DHarrigan Images
