MOTOR SPORT:Aaron MacHale withdrew from last weekend's Donegal Rally to conserve his Ford Focus WRC for the Ravens Rock Rally and focus his attention on the Dunlop National Rally Championship. At the half-way stage, MacHale leads by a single point from Toyota Corolla WRC driver Glenn Allen, 76 points to 75.
Patrick Elliott will no doubt be more than happy with his fifth overall finish in Donegal, and will push his Subaru WRC to the limit to improve on his 68 points. Niall Maguire and Kevin Barrett, also driving Subaru WRCs, are on 67 and 61 points, respectively.
Michael Barrable in his Focus WRC is sixth on 54 points, and has a lot of catching up to do after missing the two opening events.
MacHale is the only driver with two wins out of the first five rounds. Elliott, Barrable and Ray Breen each have a win, but 2005 champion Breen has pulled out of the championship. Allen has scored in every round, but his ageing Corolla is at a disadvantage against the more modern machinery. Three more with their sights set on victory are Cork drivers Liam McCarthy and Denis Cronin, and Wexford's Noel Redmond.
In the Group N battle Michael Curran (52 points) is sixth overall. He is seeded number 11 ahead of fellow Group N drivers Séamus Leonard, Willie Fannin and Alan Ring. The event has attracted 152 entries, 10 historics, 16 juniors and 70 reserves. Run out of Kilkenny the stage locations in the famous hurling county are Kilmoganny, Windgap, Ballykeeffe and Tullaroan.
Niall Breen (21) has been selected as the Dunlop Motorsport Young Racing Driver of the Month for May, and is a contender for the Young Driver of the Year Award - which many felt he deserved last year after dominating the British Formula BMW Championship. The Dundalk driver is currently 4th in the British Formula Three Championship on 67 points, behind Estonian Marko Asmer 126 points, British drivers Sam Bird (78) and Stephen Jelley (77) and in front of Maro Engel (64) of Germany. After a slow start, Breen won his first Formula Three race at Snetterton and was second at Bucharest in Romania. Breen and fellow Irish driver Michael Devaney race in championship rounds nine and 10 on the Italian Grand Prix circuit of Monza on Sunday.
The traditional Phoenix Park Road Races are confirmed for August 11th/12th, with a number of side attractions in addition to races for Formula Libre, Sheane and Vee, Porsches, saloons, sports cars and historics, and a Crossle sportscar race to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Crossle car company which is based at Holywood, Co Down.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: SKC, Kart Racing, Tynagh, Co Galway, 3pm.
Sunday: Carrick-On-Suir MC, Ravens Rock Rally, starts Kilkenny, 9.30am; Carlow CC, Motor Racing, Mondello Park, 12pm; MRCCI, Midget Car Racing, Kells, Co Meath, 2pm.
