Josh Moffett and co-driver Jason McKenna took a popular home win on Sunday’s Hillgrove Hotel Monaghan Stages Rally.

The Ford Fiesta World Rally Car driver took the lead on stage three of the nine stage event and despite a late charge from elder brother, Sam Moffett, in an identical car, Josh held on to win by 5.1 seconds.

Behind the duelling brothers, Donagh Kelly took his Ford Focus World Rally Car to third overall and maximum Triton Showers National Rally Championship points. Kelly, who was fresh from winning the Border Hopper Rally in Donegal the day before Monaghan was in the thick of the fight with the Moffett’s before relaxing his pace slightly in the closing
miles. His third place now gives him a commanding lead at the head of the Triton series. Peadar Hurson and Damien Connolly put in a sparkling drive in their 11 year old Subaru to take 4th , one place ahead of Stephen Wright and Mikie Galvin in the Kellyhevlin Hotel Ford Fiesta R5.

Gary McPhillips led the 2 wheel drive race from the opening stage but retired within site of the finish handing the honours to the Donegal pairing of Declan Gallagher and Ryan Moore in their Toyota Starlet. Malcom Pedlow won the historic section in his BMW 2002 while James Bradley and co-driver Maria Kehoe in a Honda Civic, won the junior section.

After taking an historic 1-2 finish, the Moffett brothers now plan to contest the Plains Rally in Wales next month as a test for their next outing in the European Championship on the Azores Rally at the beginning of June. The Hillgrove Hotel Monaghan Stages Rally was the third round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and the second round of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship.