MOTOR SPORT: Niall Maguire, record three times Dunlop National Rally champion, and last year's runner-up, Patrick Elliott, are the two top seeds in Sunday's Laois Stages Rally, writes Brian Foley
The 151-strong entry in the Birr and District Auto Club's multi-stage event is headed by a quartet of Subaru WRC's driven by Maguire, Elliott, Noel Redmond and Kevin Barrett, who face a strong challenge from Ray Breen and JJ Fleming in Ford Focus WRCs. Tommy Graham, Alan Ring, Willie Fanning and Tadgh Linehan also challenge in Subarus, and Mitsubishi Evo drivers Noel McCarrick, Peter Clifford and Gabriel Martin. Colin O'Toole, Séamus O'Grady and Ross Forde are the top three seeds in the Junior category. The Portlaoise based event will cover 4x2 stages in west Laois, and is being used by the top drivers as a shake-down prior to the forthcoming Dunlop Nationals.
World Production Car Rally champion Niall McShea, Eugene Donnelly and Charlie Donnelly compete in Sunday's Titanic Super Special Stage in Belfast. David James (Gorey) and Pat Donegan (Kells) should be on the pace in their Escorts.
Gareth McHale (Rathcoole) and Neil McCance (Newtownards) have entered the opening round of the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge which is run in conjunction with the Rally Sunseeker starting this evening with a spectator stage in the grounds of Bournemouth Botanical Gardens, prior to to-morrow's forest stages.
This event is round one of the MSA British National Championship in which last year's Welsh Group N champion, Brendan Murphy (Cork), is driving a Subaru and Brendan Crealey (Portadown) drives a Ford Focus WRC. Six Irish drivers, Colin Britton, Daniel Barry, Owen Murphy, Declan Magee, William Mavitty and Conor Harvey, are also competing in the concurrently run, opening round of the British Peugeot 206 Super Cup.
With four events completed the penultimate round of the Rory Galligan Irish Peugeot 205 Challenge is part of tomorrow's Tolputt Keeton Stages in the Sweet Lamb forest complex in Wales. Graeme Colfer on 67 points leads joint-second placed Adrian McBride and Séamus O'Grady on 52 points each. As crews must drop one score from the six rounds it's all to play for on the unfamiliar gravel stages of Wales.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: Kerry MC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Tralee Racecourse, 10.30am. Sunday: Birr and District AC, Laois Stages Rally, starts Portlaoise, 9.0 am; UAC,Titanic Super Super Special Stage, Titanic Quarter Yard, Belfast, 10.0 am; Kerry MC,Hewison Trophy Autotest, Tralee Racecourse, 10.30 am.
