Irish Notes 26^th March 2007.

Last year’s Circuit of Ireland winners Eugene Donnelly and his co-driver Paul Kiely will head the list for the UAC’s Easter International Rally. Donnelly and Kiely, the current Tarmac Champions, are hoping for a win to get their scoring off the ground this season. The pair may have had a fabulously exciting drive in their new Impreza WRC S12 on the opening round in Galway, but a non- finish allowed Mark Higgins in the Pirelli backed Subaru, and indeed several other top drivers, to steal a march.

Following the well publicsed split with Meteor Electrical over the sponsorship and running of the Circuit, the UAC is delighted, and releived, that competitors have shown their support for the Easter event. The club now has an oversubscribed entry for the 160 available places. There are 26 World Rally Cars on the list.

Besides Donnelly and Higgins, most of the top Tarmac contenders are entered, including Tim McNulty and Eamonn Boland, and with the addition of Norwegian Andreas Mikkelson in his Focus WRC, as well as  Kris Meeke in a McKinstry Impreza WRC S11, the entry is really impressive. Most notable absentees are Derek McGarrity, not recovered from his Manx accident, and neither Austin MacHale nor his son Gareth have entered, presumably because of WRC commitments. Kris Meeke’s participation will almost certainly be dependent on extra budgets being found. If that happens though, it should be very special! Kenny McKinstry feels that it will happen, and that the Subaru will be in Triton Showers livery, along with Kevin Barretts.

GpN on the UAC’s Easter International also looks particular strong, and young Welshman Stuart Jones is a welcome addition to the list which includes, amongst others, Colm Murphy, Gary Jennings, Seamus Leonard, James Foley and Roy White.

Tyrone’s Stephen Moore, fresh from winning last weekend’s Sean Conlon Memorial Rally through the forests of Tipperary, will get his Focus WRC back into asphalt trim for the National section of the UAC’s Easter Rally. Moore will face all the top NI Championship regulars, including current points leader Glenn Allen (Corolla WRC). Moore, who survived a big moment on the 5^th stage of the Sean Conlon when his Focus bounced off  a bank, said of his Tipperary win, “We had problems with the gearchange early in the rally, and then we had a great race with Keith Cronin. However it was rocky in places and his Lancer’s suspension was damaged. We stepped up the pace over the last couple  of stages. We enjoyed the rally, now we are looking forward to Easter.”

A full house of ten Fiesta Sporting Trophy contenders will compete on the UAC Easter event, tackling the Sunday Stages only and running between the International and National fields.

This weekend the Dunlop National Championship action moves to Tralee for the 2^nd round, the Circuit of Kerry stages. First round winner Ray Breen in his Focus WRC heads a very strong line up, with Aaron MacHale and Patrick Elliott, Focus and Subaru respectively, just two who will keep the pressure on the former Dunlop National Champion.

The mooted Limerick Forestry rally has officially been given the green light and will run on the 15^th April. The event, which is to be called the Tom White Memorial Rally, is a substitute for the Wicklow forestry as round three of the Hankook National Forestry Rally Championship. The rally is to be based in Adare, at the Woodlands Hotel, with the stages further south.

Andrew Bushe, the current Irish Tarmac Super 1600 rally champion, is to tackle the UAC Easter International in an ex Niall McShea Saxo. Andrew, a very highly rated driver in Ireland, has extensively rebuilt the Saxo and he plans to contest the remainder of the Tarmac series. Backing for the effort comes a variety of sources which include Hegarty Metals abd Sunoco Fuels.

Tralee’s Thomas Fitzmaurice has moved on from his Escort Cosworth to an ex ADR  Gp N Lancer Evo 9 and intends, with Keith McCarthy co-driving, to contest the Dunlop National Championship and the Top Part West Coast series, starting with this weekend’s Circuit of Kerry.

Fermanagh’s Niall McShea MBE is to compete on Rally Argentina in a GpN Subaru. For the moment this would appear to be a one-off, although former Production World Rally Champion Niall is naturally hoping that he it will lead to a full programme.

Brian Patterson.