The 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship has ramped up ahead of Easter weekend’s Circuit of Ireland Rally with victories and positions traded over its opening two rounds.
2022 Circuit of Ireland runners-up, Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes, are seeded first for this year’s event after winning March’s West Cork International Rally.
They hold a narrow four-point advantage in the Irish Tarmac Championship over Galway International Rally victors, Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson. Robert Barrable will hope to build on his impressive West Cork charge to second and he’ll benefit from having last year’s winning co-driver, Gordon Noble, by his side.
Sam Moffett and Keith Moriarty lie third in the Irish Tarmac standings as they continue to get up to speed in their Hyundai i20 Rally2.
Callum Devine, Jonny Greer, Cathan McCourt, Desi Henry, and Garry Jennings are a few of the more local drivers that will be eyeing up a successful day’s rallying around Mid Ulster.
Kevin Eves is in desperate need of a points haul on the Circuit of Ireland. The Toyota Corolla ace has retired twice on the opening two rounds but his pace still puts him as a leading championship contender.
Eves is joined by County Armagh’s Damian Toner and Jason Black at the front of the modified pack in the Circuit’s entry list.
Duncan Williams and Guy Weaver extended their early Historic Championship lead after winning a fast-paced but attritional West Cork Rally. They’ll be tested on the Circuit of Ireland by championship rivals Wayne Evans, Ray Breen, and Gareth Lloyd.
Crews will tackle a total of eight stages on the Cookstown-based single-day event. The first test starts at 09:20 on Saturday 8th April with the action concluding around 17:00 later that afternoon.