Title Battle Tightens as Forest Series Heads to Portlaoise for Inaugural Laois Rally
The Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship heads to Portlaoise for its penultimate round, the inaugural IDS Laser Laois Forestry Rally.
Organised by Clerk of the Course Pat O’Connor and the Laois Rally Sport Club team, the new addition features a compact loop of three fresh, challenging stages.
The overall championship remains deadlocked at the top. Following a tight contest on the Bushwhacker Rally, the crews of Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes and Mark Donnelly/Martin Brady are tied on 94 points, with Jordan and Paul Hone remaining within striking distance.
Moffett enters the weekend on the back of securing the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title in Cork. Having already claimed two legs of a potential treble this season, Moffett brings strong momentum in his Hyundai i20 R5, seeking a fourth victory of the forest campaign to put him in prime position for a third forestry crown.
Donnelly and Brady match that pace, having recorded two wins and a podium finish on every round to date. Their recent transition from a Volkswagen Polo R5 to a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 has elevated their pace as they aim to edge ahead in the standings.
Reigning Northern Ireland Gravel Champions Jordan and Paul Hone hold third place, 23 points adrift of the leaders. However, with drop scores factored in, a maximum point haul in Laois keeps their championship hopes alive.
In the Two-Wheel Drive class, Jack Harris and Aaron O’Regan lead the standings in their Ford Fiesta Rally4. With recent rival Paddy McToal absent from the Laois entry list, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Harris holds a strong vantage point, with Hugh McQuaid and Declan Casey standing as their primary challengers.
Class competition remains close across the field:
- Class 2A: Tommy Furlong and Francis Kelly lead, with MIJRS competitors returning to add pressure.
- Class 4: Jack Brennan aims to bounce back following the end of his winning streak on the Bushwhacker.
- Class 11F: Eugene Ward and Christy Butler sit tied at the top, just six points ahead of Mickey Joe Browne.
- Class 13: Shane McCanney holds a narrow lead over Hugh McQuaid and Mark Stewart.
The Junior 1000 field returns in Class 21 following two rounds restricted by Northern Irish regulations. Points leader Daniel Ormond has already secured the first of two Craig Breen Foundation awards for the season, but needs a finish to protect a 14-point cushion over closest challenger Matthew Wray.
Following the Laois fixture, the championship concludes with the final round at the Dogleap Rally in Limavady on October 17.
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