Sam Moffett & Karl Atkinson secured the Irish Tarmac Championship in the most impressive fashion with overall victory on the Cork 20 International Rally on Sunday last 1st October. Sam simply needed to start the event to add the Irish Tarmac Championship to his National & Forestry titles. In the end, Sam was involved in an event-long battle with his younger brother Josh for the overall win. Only two seconds split them going into the final test with Sam coming from behind to win after Josh went off and his car was too damaged to continue.
The Cork 20 Rally was based out of the town of Macroom and featured some classic stages such as Fuhiry, Lough Allua and Mullaghanish. Sam made his intentions clear from the start with fastest time on the opening test and after the first loop of four stages he held a scant 1.3 second lead from Josh and his co-driver Keith Moriarty. Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble were 14 seconds back in 3rd. Moffett/Atkinson maintained their lead until the end of the day. They entered the overnight halt with a 10.8 second lead over Moffett/Moriarty. Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney were over two and half minutes back in 3rd after Fisher/Noble lost time with a mechanical issue.
The battle between the Moffett’s continued to roar over Sunday’s classic stages. Sam led until a scintillating time from Josh on Stage 14 saw Josh snatch the lead. The pair set identical times to a tenth of a second on stage 15 and Josh led by 2.3 seconds going into the final stage. Sadly, Josh went off on the stage resulting in Sam securing the win to cement his Championship treble. Fisher/Noble and McGonigle/Geaney completed the podium positions. Pauric Duffy/Kevin Glynn were runners-up in the National Rally while Jack Maguire/Seamus O’Grady had to resort to Rally 2 to get a finish. Stephen Wright/Arthur Kierans retired on the opening stage.
The Championship treble has never been completed in the same year before. Sam first won this year’s National Rally Championship after six straight wins in the first six rounds of the series. Last weekend he added the Irish Forestry Championship and secured the Tarmac Championship thanks to a win Killarney and consisted scores on all rounds of the series. Sam’s reliability record has been second to none, which has been the foundation to his tremendous success in 2017.
Tynan/Clerkin Take Navigation Spoils
Martin Tynan & Fintan Clerkin took overall honours on last Saturday’s Navigation Trial. COC Shane Farrell put together a 100 mile route based out of Three Mile House. The event was the final counter of the Club Navigation and Trader’s Championships and attracted an excellent entry with competitors from Cork, Limerick, Dublin and Longford taking on the locals.
It proved to be a tough and demanding event for driver and navigator alike. The event looped the Three Mile House and Ballybay areas featuring some classic navigation terrain. Overall honours on the night went to Martin & Fintan Clerkin who negotiated the route on a total of 11 penalties. That gave them a two penalty advantage over his father Michael Tynan & cousin Ciaran Tynan who secured 2nd place. 3rd overall went to the Semi-Expert crew of Mac Kierans & Conor Boylan.
In the classes, the Tynans took Expert class honours from Damien Treanor/Jonathan McGovern (4th overall) and Alan Shinnors/George Shinnors (6th overall). Kierans/Boylan won the Semi-Expert class from Kevin McCormack/David McCrudden with Emmet McCooey/Thomas Wedlock in 3rd. Colm Mohan/Conor Mohan had a terrific run to Novice class honours and 5th overall. Aiden Sherry/Oisin Sherlock and Hugh McBrien/Patrick Corcoran completed the podium places.
Darragh Kelly/Ciaran Duffy won the Beginners class from Donal McArdle/Killian McArdle and Kieran McCarra/Kate Lynch.
Martin Tynan has won the 2017 Traders Championship for the second successive year while he and navigator Fintan Clerkin have also won the Gary Nesbitt Club Navigation Championship this year.
COC Shane Farrell would like to thank all those who supported the event including landowners, residents along the route, marshals and anyone who contributed to the success of the event.
The prizegiving for the 2017 club championships will take place on Saturday 21st October in the Four Seasons Hotel, Monaghan. Tickets available from committee members.
Monaghan Navigation Trial Results
1 Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin (Subaru Impreza) 11 marks,
2 Mickey Tynan/Ciaran Tynan (Subaru Impreza) 13m,
3 Mac Kierans/Conor Boylan (Subaru Impreza) 18m,
4 Damien Treanor/Jonathan McGovern (Subaru Impreza) 22m,
5 Colm Mohan/Conor Mohan (Subaru Impreza) 28m,
6 Alan Shinnors/George Shinnors (Subaru Impreza) 29m,
7 Aaron Duffy/Micheal McCluskey (Subaru Impreza) 39m,
8 Kevin McCormack/David McCrudden (Subaru Impreza) 41m,
9 Ashley McAdoo/Laurence Keenan (Subaru Impreza) 41m,
10 Aidan Sherry/Oisin Sherlock (Subaru Impreza) 48m,
11 Brendan Treanor/Garry Farrelly (Subaru Impreza) 50m,
12 Jonny Treanor/Denis O’Donovan (Subaru Impreza) 57m.
County Monaghan Motor Club 