RALLY NEWS NO.1 Nesbitt Arms Hotel/Ardara/Saaturday morning early.

Considering that this rally here at Ardara marks the end of the long tough Dunlop National Championship trail, as well as being the final round of the McAree Border Championship, the entry list has held up well, with very few non-starters. New Dunlop National Champion Patrick Elliott in his Subaru will head the cars away to the opening stage over the classic Rossbeg roads. The cars will be flagged away from outside the Nesbitt Arms Hotel by this year’s “Mary of Dungloe” Dawn Croke. One of the few non-starters is Niall Maguire, who was to be at 2. Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy were to be No.9 running as a test in a new world rally car, but the deal has not worked out and they are non-starting. Otherwise it is all stations go with the top drivers.

Kevin Lynch is at No.3 and has got new suspension in his Subaru, many people reckoning that he will be the man to beat here. Kevin Barrett/Sean Mullally are at No.4, Seamus Leonard/John McCafferty are at 5 and PJ McDermott/Paddy Robinson round off the top 6 in their Subaru. Shaun Gallagher is at 7 and is fresh from another great drive on the world champion ship in Spain last weekend. He is listed in the programme to be driving his Lancer, but is in fact using the same Citroen C2 that he drove in Rally Spain.

Alan Ring makes the trip all the way from Kerry and starts at 8 in his Lancer. Alan is in line to tie up group N in the Dunlop series. Gary McPhillips, Rodney Wilton and Martin McGee are at numbers 10, 11 and 12 in their respective Mk2 Escorts and they should spearhead what should be a fantastic 2 wd battle. If McPhillips had a good result here he could put himself into the reckoning for the McAree Engineering Border championship top prize, but at the moment the number one favourite is Mark Sheahan in his Renault Clio. Mark has had 4 maximum scores already so it will be down to highest overall place in the classification at the end of this Harvest Rally. Local man Daniel Conaghan in his class 12 Escort is also in with a shout, both on the Border and the Dunlop series.

In overall terms the battle of the Mk2 Escorts should provide a real highlight on the rally and the nature of the tight twisty roads with a myriad of jumps should make it all the more exciting. Notification of a route change is that stage 3, Glen O’Glenties, will not run because of a funeral. It should run as stage 6 and 9. Stuart Darcy starts at No.14 in his Group A Impreza, the Killybegs man now with Enda Sherry co-driving. Stuart has had some work done to the differential of his Impreza and could go really well here on what his more or less home territory. Joe & Dermot McHugh start just behind Stuart and their Escort Cosworth has had quite a bit of work done so they should be right on the pace as well.

Some further changes to the published entry list include Paul Garry now co-driving for Gavin Harris in his GpN Impreza. Robbie Peoples, Michael McColgan, Thomas Keys and Sean McColgan are all non-starters. John Gallagher in his Lancer and Gavin Harris (Impreza) have been moved up the running order. Drew Hunter & Pat Bonnar (156 & 150) come in from the reserves to run in the forties. Hughbert Valkenborehs starts at 134, his Sunbeam somehow or another repaired after a big accident last weekend on the Enniskillen Clubman Rally.

More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net

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