Separated by just one point, the leaders in the Dunlop National Rally Championship, Niall Maguire (Monaghan) and Paul Harris (Donegal), make the long trip to Tipperary for round eight on Sunday.
Maguire, the reigning champion, is on 88 points and seeded number five in Sunday's Stonethrowers Rally, with fellow Subaru driver Harris seeded six. Austin McHale (Rathcoole) gave the Toyota Ireland Corolla WRC a successful debut in this event last year but he has withdrawn from Sunday's rally in favour of special suspension testing.
Local hero Frank Meagher (Cloneen) has won the Stonethrowers seven times and he knows the roads around Clonmel and Cahir as the stages are virtually in his back yard. Wexford's Eamonn Boland in a Subaru Impreza WRC should be hot on the heels of Meagher and ready to pounce if he hits trouble. The former British national champion, Pete Doughty, in an Escort WRC, will have to work hard to keep in touch with the top two and hold off Maguire and Harris.
They will also be under pressure from Toyota Celica GT4 drivers, Donal O'Donovan and Michael Barrable, and Britain's James Harrison in another Subaru Impreza. Joe McHugh, in an Escort Cosworth, heads the Group N category, where the main competition will come from Kieran Molloy and Martin Elliott in Mitsubishi Lancers, John Treacy and John Sheehan in Subarus. Tom Holton (Escort Kit Car) and Colm Doyle (Peugeot 306) will battle for Formula 2 honours. In the Ford Ka Championship, James Travers has a 29-point lead over fellow Kilkenny driver John Carroll, on 142 and 113 points, respectively.
