MOTOR SPORT/Weekend Preview: Niall Maguire powered his Subaru Impreza WRC to victory on the first two rounds of the Dunlop National Rally Championship and with a score of 40 points he leads from James Harrison (36), Donal O'Donovan and Sean Gallagher on 22 each, and David Armstrong and Tim McNulty (16).
Maguire won the championship in 1999 and the Monaghan driver heads Sunday's Carlow Car Club's Stages rally, an event he won in 2000. His main opposition will no doubt come from O'Donovan in a Toyota Celica GT4, British drivers Harrison and Dom Buckley, McNulty, Michael Barrable, Patrick Elliott, Hugh Dunne and Kevin Barrett in Subaru Imprezas, and Armstrong and Richie Curran in Ford Escort Cosworths.
George Tracey in a Subaru Impreza faces the Mitsubishi trio of Willie Fannin, Patrick Price and Michael Shaw in Group N. There will be the usual "Battle of the Escorts" between Derek Smith, David James, Tom Randles, Jimmy Lambert, John Treacy and John Nolan.
The event is also the second round of the Ford Ka Rally Championship, led by Gerry Keyes on 30 points from Kenneth Mulvaney on 26, James Eivers (23) and Trevor Harding (21).
The rally starts at the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday. All the stages are in Co Kilkenny, at Castlecomer, Freshford, Clara and Ballyfoyle, each done twice.
With a prize fund of €18,650, Sunday's "Race Of The Year" at Mondello Park is the richest short circuit meeting to be held under the banner of the MCUI Southern Centre. Hilton Hincks of Tramore won this prestige race last year, and is fancied to make it two in a row. However, he will not have an easy passage with top Ulster riders Rodney McCurdy (winner in 1994 and 1998), Michael Swann, Jamie Patterson, James Courtney and Alan Patterson all capable of winning. Racing starts at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday with the feature race scheduled for 3 p.m.
Saturday- Fingal MC motorcycle racing, Mondello Park, 9.30 a.m.; Clare MC Carron Hillclimb, near Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, 11.30.
Sunday- Carlow CC Stages Rally, starts Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, 8.30 a.m.; Motorcycle racing, Mondello Park, 10.30; Carron Hillclimb, Co Clare, 11.30; Co Monaghan MC Autocross, Scotstown, Co Monaghan, 10.30; Skibbereen & District CC Autocross, Clonakilty, Co Cork, 12.0; Kerry MC Autotest, Greyhound Stadium, Tralee, 2.0; MRCCI midget car racing, The Beehive, Co Wicklow, 2.0.
