WRC, ITRC, and BRC stars headline 2022 Killarney Historic Rally
World Rally Championship duo, Craig Breen and Paul Nagle, will defend their Killarney Historic Rally crown in an ex-Frank Meagher Ford Sierra Cosworth.
The 2021 winners lead several International Irish Tarmac Rally Championship regulars, Historic ITRC frontrunners, and this year’s Junior British Rally Champions.
Breen’s 1992 Circuit of Ireland-winning Sierra will be followed up Killarney’s Molls Gap opener by another Sierra Cosworth. Jonny Greer, who finished fourth in the 2022 Irish Tarmac Championship, pilots his 4×4 Sapphire model.
Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy are more than capable of a win on the early December event. Their Subaru Legacy claimed a 45.8-second victory in May’s Historic Rally of the Lakes. An electronic issue hindered their run on the Cork 20 but they still managed to show signs of the rally-winning pace within the Legacy.
Irish Tarmac and Forest regular, Cathan McCourt, heads up four Ford Escort Mk2s that will have an exciting battle of their own in Killarney. Returning Historic Champions, Neil Williams and Anthony O’Sullivan are seeded fifth for the opening round of the 2023 Historic Irish Tarmac Championship.
Eamonn Kelly and Conor Mohan can celebrate their JBRC success with a spin around the Kerry Lakes in a newly built left-hand-drive Mk2 Escort. Kelly climbed from 12th to fifth on his rear-wheel-drive debut in a right-hand-drive variant 12 months ago.
Seeded seventh, Michael McDaid and Declan Casey will be determined to transfer their stunning form on recent gravel events across England and Wales into a top result in Killarney.
McDaid’s Mk2 Escort is set to be hunted down the road to Kenmare by the BMW M3 of Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy. The decorated Donegal duo finished fourth on last year’s event.
Fergus O’Meara, Mark and Todd Falvey join Alan Ring as County Kerry’s local hopefuls.
Rally car proprietors Meirion and Melvyn Evans make the welcome trip over from Wales in a brace of Mk2 Escorts.
Four of Historic ITRC’s top five from 2022 will take on Killarney’s new-season curtain-raiser. Duncan Williams, Berian Richards, and Craig MacWilliam have their sights set on another Irish Tarmac campaign in a bid to usurp Neil Williams.
Over 70 historic specification rally cars have entered the Killarney Historic Rally. The 3 December event is set to be a remarkable spectacle with cars ranging from Mini Coopers to Audi Quattros, Porsche 911s – even a Mitsubishi Galant.
Modified
Kevin Eves and Chris Melly lead Killarney’s modified entry with Robert Duggan’s omission opening up the favourites’ tag to several crews.
Gary Kiernan will be right up there while Conor Murphy and Jack Newman are seeking to build on their recent run of form.
Dessie Keenan makes a welcome return to Killarney, his first visit since 2016. The Monaghan pilot is a multiple winner of the end-of-year showdown.
Monaghan brothers Sam and Josh Moffett make their Killarney Historic Rally debuts by driving a pair of Toyota Starlets. Sam of course has a year of Starlet steering under his belt while Irish Tarmac Champion, Josh, will have to adjust to rear-wheel-drive rallying.
Jason Black makes it three Starlets in the modified’s top ten – he’ll be driving his brother Gareth’s car with his own motor getting a post-season overhaul.
Killarney’s modified blockbuster brings the total entry list to 150 cars with a further 50 on the reserve list. The reserve entry could have a rally of its own with drivers including Daniel McKenna, Jason McSweeney, and Chris O’Callaghan awaiting a Killarney call-up.
Crews will tackle seven stages, including three runs of Molls Gap, on Ireland’s final closed-road rally of 2022.
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Photos by Gavin Woods and Adam Hall
