Irish assault on Final Round of World Rally Championship

Dean Raftery, July-Aug 2014

Daniel McKenna along with Co driver Arthur Kierans will lead the charge of the Irish at the final round of the World Rally Championship in Wales this coming weekend.

Taking place along the picturesque roads and forests of North Wales the 23 stage event runs from Thursday to Sunday. Daniel will be joined by several Motorsport Ireland Registered drivers and co drivers including Paul Nagle who alongside Northern Irishman, Kris Meeke, is aiming to secure second spot in the manufacturers standings in the championship. Also, two of this year’s Billy Coleman Award nominees, Dean Raftery and Josh Moffett, intend to back up a successful season thus far with a good performance as they debut on the world stage.

Daniel McKenna

McKenna, having won his first season in the highly competitive British Rally Championship, views the Wales GB rally as the perfect opportunity to showcase his driving ability against the best in the business which includes Northern Irishman Alastair Fisher currently lying second in his WRC class. As he prepares to join the competition full time in 2015 McKenna has stated he will be targeting the Junior WRC competitors in particular.

“ I’ve gained a lot of experience and mileage in the last 12 months and I’m determined to progress in my chosen sport. My goal in Wales is to try and get up to the pace of the current JWRC regulars. It’ll be a stern task but that’s the level that I’m aspiring to and it’s where I need to prove myself.”

Newly crowned BRC Rally Two champion Dean Raftery has noted that the Wales Rally GB will be the biggest challenge of his career to date. With experienced WRC co-driver Karl Atkinson alongside him, the 23 year old is looking forward to pitting himself against more experienced class rivals.
Raftery stated “I think the whole experience will be pretty overwhelming. It’s not every day you compete alongside the quickest drivers in the world. It’s a great way to see what pace I have against the entrants who have much more experience at this level than I do. It will be important to keep my head and retain the focus needed for all three days as stamina will certainly come into play. I’m looking forward to seeing how we get on.”

Josh Moffett, Mar-Apr 2014

Josh Moffett will also make his WRC debut at the final round of the championship, Wales Rally GB. The 22-year-old driver, who is also the second nominee for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Young Rally Driver of the Year Award competing at the WRC event is hoping to try and build on his experience on the challenging Welsh stages.

Moffett said “I really enjoy driving and competing against professional drivers on the Circuit of Ireland this year has given me the confidence to try and push myself and I’m really looking forward to Wales. I’d love to get to the finish and gain as much experience as possible.”

Wales Rally GB begins with a ceremonial start on Thursday night 13th November in Colwyn Bay. The following day Friday 14th, the rally moves to the forests around mid-Wales with eight stages. Saturday provides nine stages in the North Wales area and the longest day of the event. Sunday consists of six stages before the successful competitors cross the finish ramp in Llandudno seafront during the afternoon.