Richard Moffett and Ger Conway took overall honours on last weekend’s Kerry Winter Stages Rally at Banna. The pair claimed victory by 24.8 seconds from Ryan Loughran/Toney Healy. Third overall went to Stuart Darcy/Darragh Mullen who were a further 5.5s in arrears. Early leaders Jack Newman/Andrew Browne held a 3.5s lead over Moffett after special stage 3 but all their hard work would come to an end on SS4 when they clipped a chicane and ploughed into a silage bale damaging the bonnet. With the bonnet lifting and blocking the view out, they decided to retire for safety reasons. Newman’s retirement promoted Moffett to 1st, a position he’d hold to the very end. Darcy put in a big charge over the afternoon stages and overhauled both Michael Carbin/Dean O’Sullivan and Padraig Egan/Tomas Ryan and take the final podium place. Carbin/O’Sullivan finished 5th OA and 1st class 20, David Moffett/Martin Conolly finished right behind them in 6th OA and 2nd class 14. Previous winners Sam Moffett/Keith Moriarty finished 8th OA and 2nd class 13 while Des Lyons/Ashling McArdle finished 23rd OA and 3rd class 11F. Ed O’Callaghan/Kaine Treanor taking their recently purchased Darrian T90 GTR for a race, retired with mechanical trouble on SS2. Piaras O’Ceallachain navigating for Brian Lavelle retired after SS3.
Report with thanks to Monaghan Motorclub PRO - Oisin Sherlock
