County Monaghan Motor Club

Official Event Launch  April 2016

 

Welcome to the 2016 Monaghan Stages Rally Homepage

This page will keep you the competitor updated on all event matters including provisional and final seedings, regulations, scrutiny etc.

Please do not telephone us Entry list  updated daily.

 http://www.hillgrovehotel.com/home.htm  Please support  Rally Event  Partners

Regs and Entry Form PDF    Monaghan Stages Entry and Regs 2016

Time and Distance Schedule 2016

Service Park Location

Winners 2015 Stages Rally L to R  J McKenna (Co-Driver) , Josh Moffett (Driver)

Josh Moffett got the better of older brother Sam, in a superb 1-2 for the Combilift rally team on last Sunday’s Monaghan Stages Rally. After a scintillating battle between the two brothers and National Championship leader Donagh Kelly, it was Josh & co-driver Jason McKenna who emerged victorious by just 5.1 seconds. Josh & Jason said it was a dream come true to win their home event. Sam Moffett & James O’Reilly missed out on completing a hat-trick of Monaghan wins but were full of praise for the winners and were the first to congratulate them at the finish. Donagh Kelly & Kevin Flanagan maintained their lead in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship after a strong drive to 3^rd overall just 12.9 seconds behind the event winners.

It was Sam Moffett who set the pace on the opening Lisnalee stage where only 1.3 seconds separated the top four crews. Donagh Kelly took the lead on the shortened stage two, but fastest time on stage 3 promoted Josh Moffett & Jason McKenna into a lead they wouldn’t lose for the rest of the event. Sam Moffett reported losing time on stage two with an overshoot which would be a major factor in the outcome of the event. Peader Hurson/Damien Connolly were a strong 4^th overall and were within touch of the leaders with Stephen Wright/Mickie Galvin and Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry completing the top six. Gary McPhillips/Paul Sheridan led the two wheel drive battle in 7^th overall with Donegal’s Declan Gallagher/Ryan Moore nine seconds adrift. Shane Maguire/Paul Kelly dropped out of the Group N lead following a stage two accident which left Pat Kirk/John McElhinney in the lead from Martin Doherty/Conor Foley.

Josh Moffett turned in a blinder on stage four where he took five seconds out of everyone to move nearly ten seconds clear and despite a massive moment on stage six which damaged his front wing he maintained the lead at 8.8 seconds. Fastest time on stage six, helped Sam Moffett/James O’Reilly into 2^nd place, 1.6 seconds ahead of Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan. Hurson/Connolly maintained a steady 4^th and Peader was happier with his performance after stiffening his suspension. Wright/Galvin and Maguire/Sherry continued untroubled in 5^th and 6^th respectively. McPhillips/Sheridan retained the two-wheel drive lead from Gallagher/Moore with Jonathan Pringle/Martin Byrne 3^rd. Doherty/Foley moved into the Group N lead and were now 3.2 seconds ahead of Kirk/McElhinney with the top four in this class separated by only eight seconds.

The fight for honours intensified as Sam slashed the deficit to Josh to just 3.8 seconds going into the final stage at Ardaghey. Josh held it all together on the final stage taking 1.3 seconds out of Sam to clinch victory by 5.1 seconds! Kelly/Flanagan retained their lead in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with third overall. Peader Hurson/Damien Connolly brought their ten-year old Subaru to a superb 4^th overall which was a great result considering it was the first stages event in the car. Stephen Wright/Mickie Galvin were delighted with 5^th overall in their Fiesta R5 with five times winner Niall Maguire & four times winner Enda Sherry securing 6^th overall to maintain 2^nd overall in the National Championship. Their was late drama in the two wheel drive battle as Gary McPhillips/Paul Sheridan were sidelined with engine problems just 500 yards from the finish of the last stage. The pair’s rotten luck in Monaghan in recent years continued. Declan Gallagher/Ryan Moore finished 1^st two-wheel drive car and 7^th overall. Jonathan Pringle/Martin Byrne were 8^th overall and won class 14 with Roy White/James O’Brien 9^th in their MG and David Moffett/Fintan Sherry 10^th overall and third two wheel drive car. Martin Doherty/Conor Foley secured Group N honours from Trevor Bustard/John McCafferty.

Regarded as one of the biggest annual sporting events in the county, this years event is  better than ever with a truly magnificent entry list of  WRC specification cars,  group N entries along with a host of powerful two wheel drive cars including what is possibly the top 6 best escort drivers in the country at the present time. Many months of preparation have gone into this event, which is estimated to be worth in the region of 5 million euro to the local economy with large crowds expected throughout Monaghan town and the mid-Monaghan region over the course of the weekend.

This is the 17^th successive year that the event is backed by Colm & Audrey Herron and their enthusiastic staff. The event will comprise of three stages repeated three times with service in Monaghan town after each loop. The podium celebration will take place at 5.20pm at the Hillgrove Hotel where the 2015 Monaghan Stages Rally winners will be crowned!