There’s a tremendous buzz about the rally this weekend, and what with the football match and the horse racing, this is the place to be this fine sunny weekend. Add to that the news that Rally Ireland, based here in Sligo for the two inaugural events, has been granted World Rally Championship status, makes this even more the place to be.

Charlie Donnelly and his co-driver Paddy Toner lead the capacity entry away in their Corolla WRC, the pair embroiled in a huge tussle for Dunlop Championship honours with No.2 seed Patrick Elliott in his Subaru. Donnelly’s Corolla was driven by his brother Eugene on last weekend’s Jim Clark Rally, and has had little more than a good check-over since. Charlie tested the car on Thursday and says it feels fine. Patrick Elliott has been working flat out in his construction company and tells us that he has had no real time for testing or anything else, but he seems pretty confident about the rally nonetheless. Donnelly commented. “Good stages, a lot of work in them, I’ve led Sligo a couple of times but never won it. I don’t want to take anything away from Patrick Elliott but I think Aaron MacHale will be the danger man”. 

Glenn Allen is listed at 3 and was hoping that his Corolla WRC engine woes were behind him but the head gasket blew last night. At 4 is Aaron MacHale in one of the ‘family’ Focus WRC’s. Aaron has come on in leaps and bounds since he started to drive this car, and is now one of the favourites here, as the way he’s been going he’s sure to win one of these Dunlop National Championship rounds soon. He commented over a quiet glass of lemonade here at the Sligo Park Hotel, “We’ll give it a lash anyway. On the Ravens Rock Rally we were really settling in to the car. It’s knowing the car will stop in such a short distance, and the speed it’ll go round  corners, takes time to get used to.”

Monaghan Rally winner Adrian McElvaney is ready to go in his Subaru and starts at No5. Martin Doherty was to be at 6, but due to an illness in the family is giving this one a miss, while English crew Jim Harrison and his co-driver Harvey Bell make a welcome return to the stages here in Sligo, driving Kenny McKinstry’s Impreza WRC S9. Michael Barrable at 8 seemed to lose a bit of his speed for a few rallies, but he’s really coming back to form with his Focus WRC and should be a force to be reckoned with. Sean Devine was to be at 9 but he’s non-starting, so Maurice Gass rounds off the top ten, driving a Derek McGeehan Corolla WRC instead of his Fabia, which has a cracked fuel tank.

Just outside the top ten Noel Redmond is at 11, his Impreza WRC just back from Prodrive following a thorough overhaul. Noel McCarrick at 12 in his Impreza WRC is the top seeded local driver and he should go well here. Behind that is a gaggle of top GpN cars, with Alan Ring the pacesetter in his Subaru, with drivers such as Willie Fannin, Kevin Kelleher, Ian Barrett, Frank Wray and a whole lot more sure to give Ring a hard time. Clonakilty man Kelleher has hired a new  James Foley Evo 9 for this one, while young Darren Gass has changed from his Fiesta Super 1600 to a GpN Lancer for this rally.

Behind that are the leading 2 wheel drive cars and they should provide their own brand of fireworks as well, with drivers such as Enda Keenan, Maurice Moffett and Mark Alcorn amongst the leading lights. Tucked in at the back of the top twenty seeds is David James, now a lot happier with his Focus WRC since he changed the ‘gravel’ brakes on the car for the proper asphalt ones. David is at 19, and Eddie Donaghy is at 20 in his Impreza WRC, and they may apply for a re-seed to start in front of the group N machinery.

There are loads of class battles in store as well, and of course the Juniors join in at stage 5. Young Conor Harvey from Letterkenny is the No.1 Junior seed in his Civic with another Donegal man, Pete Doherty, at 2 in his Escort.  One of the class contenders is Sligo Pallets man Andrew Mullen. His co-driver Elaine seemed more preoccupied with the fact that their St Bernard has just had 11 lovely pups, in various shades of brown with white socks, and they are looking homes for them! Furthest travelled driver is Andrew Hannigan, all the way from Australia.  Andrew who has his uncle Finian co-driving is not only on his first Irish rally, it is also his first asphalt event.  Just some of the top reserves who are now slotted into the rally include John Cairns in his Impreza, Raymond Drury, Eddie McLoughlin and young Alastair Fisher in his Corsa.

Further changes to the entry include Ollie O’Reilly (No24) and Paddy Boyle (27), non-starting. Andrew Cullen is co-driving for Maurice Gass.  Paul McLaughlin is with Patrick Elliott. Conor Foley is with Enda Keenan. Stage 3 is being shortened at the end to 11.09km, the new finish being just after location 12. This is because of melting tar.  More news after first stage. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net