Motor Sport: In his drive to equal Dermot Carnegie's record of 10 Hewison Trophy Autotest Championships, Eamonn Byrne suffered a glitch in the recent Midland MC event when was beaten into second place by 2001 champion JJ Farrell.
However, Byrne still has a comfortable lead in the points standings. The top 10 are: 1 Byrne 221, 2 Eddie Peterson 206, 3 Sam Johnston 185, 4 Paddy Power 174, 5 Paul Phelan 166, 6 Liam Cashman 152, 7 Chris Grimes 151, 8 Ian White 119, 9 Farrell 118, 10 Frank Lenehan 118.
Carrick-on-Suir MC run rounds 10 and 11 this weekend at the Industrial Park, Browns Road, Waterford.
Bohernabreena, Co Dublin is the venue for the Garda Síochana Motor Club's Kehoe Cup Sporting Trial tomorrow and the Co Kildare MC's 4x4 trial on Sunday.
The rally season gets into gear at Kirkistown Circuit in Co Down with tomorrow's New Year Stages Rally jointly organised by the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland and the Ulster Automobile Club.
Dickie Curran in a Mitsubishi Evo V11 won this six-stage event last year. Kevin Lynch is one of the fancied drivers at the wheel of a Subaru WRC.
The Ford Rallyesport Ka Rally Championship return for a sixth consecutive season and will feature three tarmac rounds and three forestry stages events. The programme is: February 22nd - Carrick-On-Suir; March 28th - Tipperary Forestry Stages; May 9th - Carlow Stages; July 24th/25th - Cork Forestry Stages; August 22nd - ALMC Rally (TBA); October 4/5th - Cork 20.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: 500MRCI/UAC, Stages Rally, Kirkistown, Co Down, 9.0 a.m.; GCMC, Kehoe Cup sporting Trial, Bohernabreena, Co Dublin, 11.0 a.m. Saturday/Sunday: Carrick-On-Suir MC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Industrial Park, Browns Road, Waterford, 11.00am (two-day event). Sunday: Co Kildare MC, 4x4 Trial, Bohernabreena, Co Dublin, 11.0 a.m.
