New home for Fastnet Rally service park

AFTER a lapse of four years the Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally returns to the Irish rallying calendar on the forthcoming October bank-holiday weekend.

The rally will be along similar lines to the 2019 event that was won by Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (VW Polo GTi R5) and his Monaghan co-driver Conor Foley. However, there is one major change insofar as the service park, which was based in the town since the rally moved to Bantry in 2011, will instead be based at the Bantry Aerodrome facility courtesy of the Rowa Pharmaceutical Corporation.

‘In many respects and even in the last four years the whole entourage in relation servicing and service vehicles has grown exponentially. To fit everything into the space we had off the town square was challenging, to say the least. However, Rowa Pharmaceutical has provided us with a great location and we are indebted to them for that,’ clerk of the course of the organising Skibbereen and District Car Club, James Kingston told The Southern Star, ‘

The eight-stage rally is the eighth and final round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and is also rounds of the regional Top Part West Coast Rally Championship and the IPS Packaging Southern 4 Rally Championship.

The Skibbereen club organisers will have their fingers crossed that the rally will decide the outcome of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Currently, Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and Derry’s Callum Devine are involved in one of the most competitive championship battles in many years. The series is based on the best six results from eight events, however, Devine has missed one event and trails Moffett by 20 points. Both have won three events each. The single point for a Power Stage (final stage) win is also hugely important this season and while Devine won the ALMC Hellfire Rally (Round 6) in Oldcastle a few weeks ago, Moffett (who was second) won the Power Stage.

It could have defining consequences – were Moffett to win in Clare (September 24th) and also snatch the Power Stage point, he will be crowned champion. Otherwise, the Fastnet will decide the outcome in what will be a first for the rally since it moved to Bantry.

The last time that national rally champions were crowned on a Skibbereen and District Car Club event was in 2009 when Cavan’s Patrick Elliott (Subaru WRC) and co-driver Paul Goodman triumphed in the event that was based at the West Cork Hotel.

Meanwhile, this year’s Fastnet will feature a three stage loop – Mizen Head (x2), Mount Gabriel (x3) and Mount Kid (x3) with servicing after SS3 and SS6.

A number of local competitors are still involved in the Triton series with Ballylickey’s Daniel Cronin currently fourth in the series, nine points behind Donegal’s Declan Boyle; Cronin’s co-driver Dunmanway’s Donnchadh Burke is third in the overall standings; in Class 20, Dunmanway’s Conor McCarthy and his Dripsey co-driver Gavin Sheehan are in second place while Barryroe co-driver Dylan Doonan is second in Class 14.