RALLY NEWS NO.1       Rally HQ..Sat Early

Happily there is no news of any withdrawals from the top end of the published programme entry list, leaving us with one of the strongest line-ups of cars ever seen on an Irish Rally. Current Tarmac Champion Ian Greer leads the 150 cars away for the first Tarmac series stage of the season.Ian competed on the Circuit of Kerry a couple of weeks ago and didn't seem too happy with his Celica, particularly in the area of the centre differential. Subsequent to that the car was put very much into last year's specification, Ian '00'ed' at the Midland Single stage and was very happy with the Taranto de Pol backed Toyota. He'll need every confidence when he looks over his shoulder and sees what is lined up behind. Cross Refrigeration director Andrew Nesbitt at 2 has a new Pirelli shod Subaru WRC, the one Holocwycz drove in Portugal. Austin McHale at 3 now has his Corolla WRC in right hand drive. He demonstrated in winning the Galway Spring that the car works, and the five times Tarmac Champion has been doing testing/set up work since. He did have a last minute hitch with the car last night, but hopefully all will be sorted before the start this morning. At 4 is Frank Meagher, one of the most natural and fluid drivers on this Island. His Escort WRC engine has been rebuilt over the winter. Next up is two times Circuit of Ireland winner Stephen Finlay in his M-Sport Ford Focus. 'The Fans' just can't wait to see Finlay back in action. At 6 James Cullen, in the Mckinstry Subaru, is such a natural, attacking, never give up driver, with so much at stake, such commitment, that he must also be a threat to the No1 seed. Next up is Stephen Murphy in the ex Fisher Impreza - the former two times National Champion clearly demonstrated in winning West Cork that he has taken to the car like a duck to water.

Derek McGarrity at 7 has a new Impreza WRC since finishing runner-up in West Cork. Then its Eamonn Boland in the 2nd of the works Focuses, Eamonn very happy with his HERTZ backed machine. Liam McCarthy, in a Celica very similar to Ian Greer's completes the top ten.
Phewwww...what a line up. It doesn't stop there either. There are many drivers just outside the top ten who are likely to feature. More news on that later. Some changes to the top end of the entry include...Brendan Kelly, JJ Fleming, Greg McCormick, Mike O'Leary & Jer O'Donovan non-starting. Slotted in are Dan McCartan (Lancer), Philip Shaw (Escort MK2) & Gerard McFall (Escort Cos). Just some of the new driver/car combinations include Frank O'Mahoney in the ex Tom Spence/Bertie Fisher Impreza & Hugh Martin Doherty in the ex Eamonn Boland Escort WRC, Johnny O'Sullivan in a new Doughty Escort WRC. Top GpN seed is Mark Fisher in a 2 door Prodrive Impreza. Current Tarmac GpN Champion Gene Meegan in a Lancer is 2 cars behind Mark. The Historic runners are scattered throughout the field with Dessie Nutt the highest seed.  Of the 5 Pumas in the Puma Championship, just 3 will make the start line - Ben Briant is absent and Donagh Kelly's example broke a cam belt last night. More news later. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON