February 2, 2024
Carbon Positive Motorsport are delighted to be partnering with Matt Edwards as a brand ambassador once again for the 2024 season.
The triple British Rally Champion is headed for the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally this weekend as he starts his assault on this year's Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
The seven-round, cross-border series begins in earnest on Ireland’s West Coast with the Galway International Rally which kicks off on Friday night with a ceremonial start in Eyre Square, Galway.
Over 130 crews are due to start the rally, in what promises to be a very hard fought encounter with some very successful drivers from Ireland and the UK doing battle. 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Champions Callum Devine & Noel O’Sullivan are top seeds in a VW Polo and will be looking to carry the momentum from last year’s series into this year. Number 2 seeds are Josh Moffett & Andy Hayes who won in 2022 and finished second last year. Moffett will be making a switch from a Hyundai to a Citroen C3 for the event and it will be interesting to see how quickly he adapts.
Third seeds are Keith Cronin & Mikie Galvin in a Fiesta Rally 2 and marks the duo's return to the championship for the first time since they won it back in 2016. Keith of course is a former winner of the event having tasted victory in 2013.
Sam Moffett & James O’Reilly at four are in a Hyundai i20 Rally 2 and Sam will be hoping to be as quick out of the blocks as last year when he led the event over the early stages.
Rounding off the top six are Jonny Greer & Niall Burns who as usual will have a Citroen C3 Rally 2 followed by Matt Edwards & David Moynihan in their new Fiesta Rally 2.
The Welshman has previous experience of competing on events that count towards the cross-border series, including the Ulster International Rally which he has won on two previous occasions.
He has also featured at the three-day Donegal International Rally and led it on the third and final day in 2022 only to crash out heavily. Last year he fared much better, finishing second to Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan who would use the result as a springboard to clinch the Tarmac title.
“An Irish Tarmac Championship campaign has been a dream of mine for a number of years now,” Edwards explained. “I have had success on the Ulster Rally and been on the pace in Donegal and West Cork, so it feels like a natural step to try to put it all together over the course of a full year.
“It is brilliant to embark on a full Championship again. It will be my first since our third British Rally Championship title in 2021. A Championship suits my approach much better than a one-off event.”
For all his trophies and success, actually bringing the money together to make his dream a reality has been far from easy.
“It is a continual battle to secure monetary support to fulfil it,” he added. “I am thrilled with this opportunity which has been made possible by the support of Marty McKenna at C&M Motorsport along with the longstanding partners who have stood by me in previous campaigns.
“Of course, I want to be in the title hunt come the business end of the year but to be out again with the support we have means a lot. I love the sport and can’t wait to enjoy some close battles.”
Carbon Positive Motorsport co-counder, Steve Smith, added, " It’s great that Matt can compete with his emissions carbon offset on all his planned events. He will be the first of our Ambassadors to use our new 200% carbon offsetting services to mitigate his competition related carbon emissions."
Follow Matt's progress at www.facebook.com/galwayinternationalrally
It only takes a little effort to make a positive difference for the environment so why not join with Matt to make motosport sustainable. Visit carbonpositivemotorsport.com
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