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JUNIOR World Rally Championship contender Rob Duggan has spoken of his disappointment after missing out on Rally Poland due to a sponsorship issue. The Junior WRC is contested over six WRC rounds – starting in Corsica, then Italy, Poland, Finland and Germany before finishing in Spain. The Killarney rally ace followed the season opening round in Corsica with the Rally Italia Sardinia in June in which he claimed sixth place.

But the former Motorsport Ireland Young Rally Driver of the Year and his co-driver Ger Conway missed out on taking part in the Rally Poland stage last week because of what Rob describes as “a hold-up” in prize money funding. “We were ready to go, but unfortunately it just wasn’t happening,” he told Killarney Advertiser.

When Duggan and Conway clinched the DMACK Junior title in the British Rally Championship last year, the prize was to provide funding for Duggan to take a huge step forward in his rally career by tackling five rounds of this year’s World Rally Championship. “There seems to be a hesitancy with the prize and we have not received anything,” said the 24-year-old. The prize money was to come in three payments, with the drivers half-funding the drives, added Rob. “We have two rallies completed and have not seen anything. It is a shame,” he said.