NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin top a terrific entry of Galway International Rally contenders as the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship gets its latest season of action underway.
The Cork-Kerry crew face stiff opposition to defend both their 2024 Galway International Rally win and their Irish Tarmac title.
Leading Rally2 drivers Callum Devine and Matt Edwards enjoyed dazzling duels with Cronin on Ireland’s iconic asphalt stages last year.
With Josh Moffett, Cathan McCourt, Meirion Evans, William Creighton, and Jon Armstrong in the mix as well, those braving the conditions along Galway’s stone walls will be treated to a memorable Irish Tarmac encounter.
Cronin and Galvin earned a well-controlled 38.1-second Galway victory in demanding conditions 12 months ago and have switched to a Citroen C3 Rally2 for their latest campaign. Keith’s brother Daniel Cronin is also set to take on Galway’s tricky stages in another C3.
Devine and Noel O’Sullivan’s runner-up finish in Galway last year was their best result on the west-coast rally and return to the stages in 2025 in their well-fancied Skoda Fabia Rally2. The combination has won three of its five events so far and will be hoping for more success as they look to fight for their second Irish Tarmac title.
A stage-two accident spoiled Matt Edwards and David Moynihan’s Galway hopes last year. Still, they returned under super-rally regulations to set a fastest time on the West of Ireland event’s second day of action.
Podiums in West Cork, Killarney, and the Cork 20 along with winning the Circuit of Ireland proved Edwards as a true Irish Tarmac contender. His Donegal demons continued last June after dropping out of a rally-long lead with five stages to go. Edwards’ return in 2025 will be followed with great interest especially as he looks to prove the pace of Hyundai’s Rally2 i20.
Two-time Irish Tarmac Champions Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes will be looking to bounce back from a challenging Irish Tarmac campaign in 2024. Moffett is hoping to find the same post-covid dominance he displayed in the unlikely Hyundai i20 R5 as he continues to get to grips with Citroen’s equivalent.
Sam Moffett, Declan Boyle, Garry Jennings, and Tim McNulty continue Galway’s theme of past Irish Tarmac Champions in the impressive field of 30+ Rally2 cars.
The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy has dispatched two of its leading drivers to Galway’s season opener. William Creighton and Jon Armstrong shone across European and World Rally Championship events last year. They come to Galway with plenty of potential to upset ITRC’s usual frontrunners.
A healthy entry of Ford Fiesta Rally3s is set to do battle in Galway this weekend. Scotland’s Garry Pearson is joined by Rally4 graduates Ryan McHugh, Shane Quinn, Casey Jay Coleman, and Aoife Raftery.
Kyle McBride, Keelan Grogan, Cian Caldwell, and Joseph Kelly all feature in another competitive Rally4 entry.
McEvoy Motorsport Modified ITRC
Donegal’s Damien Tourish and Domhnall McAlaney are top seeds in Galway’s modified category with their Ford Escort Mk2 running as car number 26. Rodney Wilton and Conor McMahon’s Mk2 Escort will start the 15-stage event just behind. Padraig Egan, Daniel Breslin, Patrick McHugh, and Martin McGee will all be vying for modified success along with Brian Lavelle who makes the step up to Class 14.
Kevin Kelleher had been in Modified ITRC contention last year and the Cork pilot once again features in Galway’s two-wheel-drive line-up.
Competition looks set to be high in Class 13 with Mac Walsh, Stephen Faughnan, Paul Purtill, Joe Hegarty, and James Bradley all entered in Ford Escorts.
Wales Motorsport Fabrication Historic ITRC
Reigning Historic Irish Tarmac Champion Tomas Davies took top points on their 2025 opener, the Killarney Historic Rally, but could lose his advantage after Galway as he skips the series’ second round.
The BMW M3 of John O’Donnell and Paddy Robinson could be the ones to benefit as they continue on from a top result in Killarney. O’Donnell is joined at the front of Galway’s Historic field by the ever-present Subaru Legacy of Ray Breen as well as defending Galway winners Meirion Evans and Anthony O’Sullivan.
Hugh McQuaid and Declan Casey will line up in a Ford Escort RS 1800 along with fellow Ford Escort drivers Gareth Bevan and Philip Rogers.
Ray Cunningham and Andy Johnson will bring a Morris Cooper and Vauxhall Chevette into Galway’s Historic mix.
Paul Browne Plant Hire and Civil Engineering Junior ITRC
Last year’s Galway Junior Rally winner Jason Wilkinson leads a strong line-up of 15 cars in Galway’s Junior category. Eoin Kelly, Ronan Dorrian, Jason Gorham, and 2024 Junior ITRC contender Kyle Browne complete the Junior category’s top five.
Photo by D Harrigan Images