Motor Sport: Rally Ireland today announced a footprint totalling eight counties - north and south of the border - for when the World Rally Championship (WRC) returns to these shore in January 2009.
Like last year, the counties of Donegal. Sligo, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cavan and Antrim will be used again. Organisers will also attempt to bring the race route to locations not previously used in last year's race.
Rally Ireland will present a finalised route to the FIA, the world sport governing body, at the end of June.
Given the success of last year's race, Ireland has the privilege of hosting the the opening stage of the 2009 race, taking over from the famous Monte Carlo Rally.
Last year's cross border event, which was launched at Stormont, attracted more than 250,000 spectators and had the largest television audience of any round in the WRC - 62.8million from 180 countries.
Next year's race is supported by Fáilte Ireland and Sport NI and takes place from January 29th- February 1st.