MOTORSPORT:Isle of Man-born Mark Higgins collected maximum Global Irish Tarmac Rally Championship points in Galway and the Easter Rally to lead the series by 11 points from Eamonn Boland.
This weekend the reigning British champion, Higgins, will have to pull out all the stops to fend off the particularly strong Irish challenge in the Ordnance Survey International Rally of The Lakes, run out of Killarney over the classic stages of the South-West.
Gareth MacHale is the number one seed in a Ford Focus WRC, followed on the road by a trio of Subaru WRC drivers - Higgins, last year's winner Tim McNulty and reigning Irish Champion Eugene Donnelly.
The 17-year-old Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen, who finished an impressive third on the Easter Rally, is seeded ahead of Boland, both in Ford Focus WRCs. Another Easter Rally sensation Kris Meeke is seeded seven in a Subaru WRC, followed by three Focus drivers - Austin MacHale, Kevin Lynch and Gareth Jones.
The battle for the lead will be fought at a tremendous pace. Gareth MacHale needs a win to boost his confidence in his World Championship campaign, but must also conserve his car for the Rally Italy in Sardinia on May 18th-20th.
Eugene Donnelly, winner in 2003, is trailing Higgins by 18 points in the championship and is fully committed to a maximum effort in his comeback quest for a fourth consecutive tarmac title.
Colm Murphy, Garry Jennings, Alan Ring and Seamus Leonard lead the Group N title. Two works Suzuki Swifts, sponsored by Suzuki Ireland, will be driven by Lorna Smith and James Wozencroft. Lorna Smith won the British Women's Championship in 2004 and 2005.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the famous French rally star Sebastien Loeb will drive a works Citroen C4 WRC on the Shell Donegal International on June 15th-17th.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: Killarney & District MC, Ordnance Survey International Rally of The Lakes, starts Killarney, 8.30am. Sunday:Killarney & District MC, Ordnance Survey International Rally of The Lakes, re-starts Killarney, 8.30am.
