Following a long hot summer the temperatures remain high for the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

The outcome of the championship will be decided on the Jackson’s Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally, the seventh and final round of the series on October 13.

After an eventful season three drivers - current series leader Donegal’s Declan Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC), Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta WRC) and Donegal’s Joe McGonigle (Mini WRC) are vying to reap the rewards and claim the prestigious Vard Memorial Trophy.

Boyle, a champion in 2013 and 2014 is favourite to claim his third title and join Monaghan’s Niall Maguire, currently, the only triple national rally winner. Lettermacaward driver Boyle leads both Moffett and McGonigle by twelve points and even if either of his rivals were to win (finish as the top Triton registered competitors 20 points) and also claim the single bonus point from the Power Stage, a top eight (ten points) championship finish will still be enough for Boyle to claim the title.

On last month’s Sligo Rally, both Boyle and Moffett spurned opportunities to close in on the title, remarkably, both crashed out within a stage of each other leaving McGonigle take the maximum points and the lead of the seven round series.

In the last round in Clare where McGonigle was a non-starter, Moffett took victory while Boyle finished fifth (fourth in terms of the series and annexed fourteen points) to move into the lead of the championship.

It certainly was an unusual event for Boyle with the Sligo incident playing on his mind.  “Clare was one of the toughest rallies, I was trying not to make any mistakes and I was very slow at the start.  We (with co-driver James O’Reilly) made our pacenotes with just a finish in mind, particularly after the silly off in Sligo.  On the second and third loops we picked up the pace and got the points we required.”

How Boyle adapts will be key but there is no doubt that he will have learned from the experience in Clare.
Meanwhile, Moffett is bidding to clinch his inaugural Triton Showers title as he tries to emulate his older brother Sam, who won the series last year and also won Irish Tarmac and Forest titles, the first driver to achieve the feat in the same season.  Unlike his rivals, Moffett’s points tally is from five events as he missed out on the Circuit of Kerry earlier in the season.  Although McGonigle has been very consistent, he needs both drivers to hit trouble to secure the title.

The organising Donegal Motor Club has attracted a capacity entry of 140 crews with over 40 more on reserve and 16 entries in the Junior category – certainly, the biggest of the season.  Donegal’s Donagh Kelly, a former Triton champion is the top seed in his Ford Focus WRC.