Tarbert’s Mossie Costello will make his tarmac debut in his recently acquired Ford Fiesta Rally4 in Clare on Sunday.
Costello has used the car on several gravel events, including autocross and the Moonraker and Cork Forestry rallies.
Clare will be his first time driving the car on tarmac and he has entered the highly competitive Class 2 – the category that is attracting nearly all of Ireland’s young up-and-coming drivers.
Opposition in Clare includes
Ryan McHugh
The leader of the Class 2 category in the Triton Showers National Rally Champion was a winner in Kerry and on the Raven’s Rock earlier this year.
Second-placed driver Cian Caldwell, the Sligo Rally winner, has entered Clare but all eyes will be on Keelan Grogan who has won three of the five rales he has contested this year including last time out in the ALMC Rally in County Meath in August.
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member Aoife Raftery will contest her first Irish National Rally Championship event at this weekend’s Clare Stages and will also compete in Class 2 in her Ford Fiesta R2 this weekend.
Costello, who will be co-driven by sister Megan, is looking forward to the challenge of learning the car and the stiff competition he will face.
“I am really looking forward to debuting the Rally 4 Ford Fiesta on tarmac next weekend,” he said.
“I can’t wait to see what the car can do on tar and build our confidence and speed.”
The Costellos are one of 20 Kerry crews entered in the 150-car rally.
Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan will attempt to wrestle control of the National Rally Championship from defending champion Abbeyfeale’s Keith Moriarty.
The Clare Rally is the penultimate round of the eight-round series.
O’Sullivan is on note duty for Callum Devine while Moriarty is alongside defending driver champion Josh Moffett.
As it stands O’Sullivan is 15 points behind Moriarty In the title race, but when dropped scores are taken into account the Kerry navigator has a one-point advantage. However, there are bonus points on offer for finishing Clare and provided both crews finish the rally the title fight will go to the wire in Skibbereen over the October Bank Holiday weekend.
Two London-based Kerry crews are making the trip to Ireland for the rally. London Irish Motor Club chairman Mick Smith will drive his rare Hillman Imp in the historic category and Ray Hillard, from Listowel, and co-driven by his son Joey will compete in a Ford Escort Mk1.
Cyril Wharton and Donal Falvey will be giving their newly built Ford Escort Mk2 its rally debut too, although Wharton did drive the car on the Ballyfinnane Hillclimb in July.
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