When you’re a 21-year-old rally driver, two national titles in a year would probably be more than enough for most. Josh Moffett however, has different plans. Having already secured the Group N titles on the Dunlop Irish National Championship and the Valvoline Irish Forestry Rally Championship, the young Monaghan man has his eyes set on an unprecedented hat-trick as he heads to Cork this weekend for the final round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
“So far this year it’s gone great for us. Our target at the start of the year was to do the three championships. To win one would have been brilliant but we’ve got two so far and now we’re heading to Cork for the decider in the Tarmac Championship,” smiled Josh earlier this week. He’ll need to be at the top of his game in the rebel county though if he is to take a third title in two months. Not only will it be the first time he has competed on the Cork 20 International Rally but he must also outpace his friend and rival Stephen Wright if he is to take the treble.
Wright, who is also from Monaghan currently leads the Group N standings but has yet to drop a score. When he drops his Galway points (his lowest score) he heads to Cork on 53 points, the exact same score as Moffett. Josh takes up the story; “Tied on points it’s all to go for this weekend and it’s literally win or lose. It’s been nip and tuck between myself and Stephen all year so a scenario like this is really the only way it could have ended and even if we don’t come out on top it’s still been a fantastic year.”
The fact he hasn’t tackled the daunting Cork roads around Millstreet before doesn’t phase Moffett who has a secret weapon in the shape of his co-driver John Rowan who has previously finished in the top 10 in Cork in 2010 and 2011. Rowan, who’s from Co. Antrim, hopes his previous experience can help get Josh over the line; “Cork has been good to me before but the roads down there can be very tricky. We’ll make a good set of pacenotes and hopefully everything works out OK.” Josh can also seek advice from his older brother Sam who is the reigning Group N champion and finished 5th overall in Cork last year.
Fighting a battle on three fronts throughout the year doesn't happen without a lot of help and Josh is quick to thank Gerry McGarrity who looks after the preparation of the all conquering Mitsubishi Evo 9 he has been using this year. “The car was in gravel specification for last weekend and they’ve turned it around for the tarmac this weekend and Gerry and the boys have been doing that all year for me, I couldn’t do it without them and the backing I’ve got from my sponsors especially Combilift, Lowey Transport and Wurth. John and Jason McKenna have been great on the notes all year, you couldn't ask for better co-drivers.”
And as for that historic hat-trick? Moffett grins; "Well there's no guarantees but I'm two thirds of the way there...."
