Moffett and Doherty set for National face-off in Cavan
The Cavan Stages Rally hosts the third round of the National Rally Championship this Sunday. A stellar line-up of Rally2 cars is headed by defending Cavan winners Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty.
Four-time National Rally Champion Moffett got his latest championship attack off to a perfect start by taking maximum stages on the Midland Stages Rally, but retirement on round two leaves him in need of points in Cavan.
Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy pulled off a sensational drive on a challenging Circuit of Kerry Rally to secure their maiden event win in Ireland’s National series. The Skoda Fabia Rally2 crew are seeded second but will have to be at their best to challenge Moffett on ground the Monaghan driver is well accustomed to.
Sam Moffett and Shane Buckley are seeded third in their Hyundai i20 Rally2, one place ahead of the ever-present threat of Robert Barrable.
Garry Jennings makes a welcome return to National Rally Championship action, looking to continue his fine run of form. Fermanagh’s Irish Tarmac and Forest champion has claimed victories on the Tour of the Sperrins, Manx Rally, and May Day Stages in recent months, as well as a fine Circuit of Ireland fightback to claim second on the Irish Tarmac event.
Cavan’s top 20 is littered with Rally2 drivers capable of challenging for victory. Cathan McCourt, Desi Henry, Daniel Cronin, and Ryan Loughran are all in the mix.
In two-wheel-drive, Barry Morris will be hoping to retain his recent reign as top modified pilot. The Darrian T90 driver has found a new level of speed in 2025, claiming two runner-up finishes in the National Championship and a two-wheel-drive win on the Circuit of Ireland.
The County Tyrone driver will face a stiff challenge in Cavan, however, with local frontrunners Chris Armstrong and Aaron McIntyre joined by Daniel McKenna and Johno Doogan in the hunt for modified honours. Cavan and Monaghan have no shortage of top modified drivers, and they all seem to be gunning for success this weekend.
Moffett brothers, Richard and David, bring their pair of Toyota Starlets to the nine-stage event, while Gary McPhillips and Michael Carbin face off in Ford Escorts. Cavan’s hopes will be furthered by local drivers Rodney Wilton and Tim Flood.
Find out more about the three stages in store this Sunday courtesy of Onthepacenote’s stage preview below.
Farnham (10.4 km) – SS1/4/7
Farnham will be a committed opener for this year’s Cavan Stages Rally. The stage generally has a good surface with a few bumpy straights facing crews just before its finish.
It will be a nice test to kick off the event, but there are a few unforgiving corners that crews should take a bit of caution through.
Bruskey (14.0 km) – SS2/5/8
Now this is a proper Cavan stage. Bruskey is tricky and difficult with so much driving in its 14 kilometres.
There are quite a few important sequences of corners and crews will need to be mindful of the gravelly nature of these roads too. There are a lot of different dimensions to this stage that drivers will need to overcome to set a top time.
Ardkill (11.1 km) – SS3/6/9
Ironically, the characteristics of Cavan’s finale can be split halfway – the first half is similar to Farnham, and the second half offers the same challenges as Bruskey.
The second half of Ardkill is corner after corner, a lot of work for the driver and co-driver, so there will be no let-up for crews until they make it to stage nine’s finish line.
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Photo by D Harrigan Images
