Rallying is back - Sunday's Clonmel Arms Stonethrowers Rally is the first stages event since the lifting of the foot-and-mouth restrictions.
Local hero Frank Meagher heads the quality entry in his Ford Focus WRC. He faces strong competition in his bid for an unprecedented ninth win in this event from Peadar Hurson, Michael Barrable and George Cullen in Toyota Celicas and Subaru drivers Eamonn Boland, Paul Harris, Tim McNulty and Daniel Doherty.
Johnny O'Sullivan, in an Escort WRC, and Stephen Harris in another Subaru complete the top 10, which will be led out of Clonmel by the odds-on favourites Meagher and Michael Maher with number two on the Focus WRC - the number one slot will be left vacant in honour of multi-rally champion Bertie Fisher, who tragically lost his life earlier this year in a helicopter crash.
Boland looks like Meagher's biggest challenger.Daniel Doherty drives a similar Subaru Impreza WRC to that of Boland and is also expected to push hard for victory.
The top Group N contenders are Paul Harris, Roy White, Kieran Molloy, Brendan Kelly, Pat Price, James Cribben and John Sheehan.
The event also includes a round of the Ford Ka Rally championship which is led by John Carroll of CoKilkenny on 53 points from Liam Denning (Dublin) on 51 and Gerry Keyes of Limerick on 49.
From the 10 a.m. start in Clonmel, the first of the three stages at Millinarinka is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
Three more stages will be at Drangan, alternating between Millinarinka. There will be two service halts at the Powerstown Park Racecourse on the outskirts of Clonmel, and the first car is due to finish outside the Clonmel Arms hotel at 5.30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Irish team of Damien Faulkner and Derek Higgins are impressing in American motor racing. Donegal driver Faulkner trails Indy Lights leader Townsend Bell by 19 points with his Dorricot Racing team-mate Higgins in third position.
Faulkner also heads up the Rookie class and the Oval Cup, the latter for two wins and a second on super speedway tracks. With four races to run, Faulkner has it all to race for in Sunday's Round Eight at Lexington, Mid-Ohio.
Dublin-born Higgins (33) lived and raced in Britain before emigrating to the US some 10 years ago. He raced in Mexico before getting into the Indy Lights Series.
Sunday's Mondello meeting features races for Fiat Uno and Punto, Strykers, Crossle and Global Lights sports cars, Historics and Formula Vee, with all races over the Intermediate Circuit.
