RALLYCROSS takes centre stage this weekend, with the two opening rounds of the British Challenge series taking place in Ireland the Ulster Grand Prix at Nutts Corner, Co Antrim, tomorrow and the Co Kildare MC event at Mondello Park on Sunday.
Dermot Carnegie is the man aiming to win the superfinal on both days, at the wheel of his latest Ford Escort Cosworth. But the Dubliner will not have an easy ride with the likes of John Moloney, Jeremy Crush and Robin Perry (also in Cosworths), David Patton in an Escort GT4, Steve Munday (Fiesta 4WD) and the trio of Metro 6R4 drivers - Norman Kittle, Fred Patterson and Lawrence Gibson - all bidding for championship points.
Helmut Holfeld, Kevin Twomey and Mark Watson in a trio of Escort Cosworths will be the pacemakers in Division One for Group N cars. Also Tony Bell, in a Toyota, Irish Winter Rallycross champion Lloyd Spendlove in a Peugeot 205, John Sampson (TR7), Mike Manning (Fiesta), Mark Wells (Renault Clio) and James McVicker (Renault 5) are also quick drivers competing in both events.
Having dominated the opening round of the British Rally Championship (the Welsh Rally), Ford will have a quartet of Escort RS2000's in the weekend's Pirelli International Rally, spearheaded by championship leader Gwyndal Evans of Wales. Seven manufacturers - Ford, Honda, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Skoda and VW - are represented in this event which is based in Carlisle.
On the home rally front, round three of the Tarmac Rally Championship is the Killarney and District MC's Rally of The Lakes on the May holiday weekend (5/6th).
Three rounds of the RIAC National Rally Championship have been run. Stephen Murphy won in Mayo and Kerry, but the Carlow driver skipped last Sunday's Monaghan event and will next appear on the Carlow Car Club's Rally, run out of Kilkenny, on May 12th. Eamonn Boland was going for victory in the Monaghan Rally until he crashed on the penultimate stage, handing the win on a plate to Belfast dentist John Gilleece.
The Irish round of the world Motorcycle Trials Championship takes place at Redhall Estate, Ballycarry, near Larne, Co Antrim, today and tomorrow. Jordi Tarres of Spain has won the championship seven times and heads the entry, along with Tommi Ahvala (Finland), March Colomer (Spain) and British riders Dougie Lampkin and Steve Colley.
Ireland will be represented by Ulster professional Robert Crawford, Irish champion Paul McLoughlin of Greystones and Andrew Perry.
The MCUI Drag Racing Championship blasts off in the weekend's standing start sprint event at Pouladuff on the outskirts of Cork City.
