RALLY NEWS NO.1       Easter Monday..Bangor..08.30

This Circuit 2000 Easter Stages is round three of the Woodland Furniture NI Rally Championship. As such it represents a change of emphasis for the drivers. They have tackled the mostly wide open spaces of Kirkistown and Bishopscourt on the first two counters. Now it is the tight twisty roads of the Clogher Valley on the agenda, requiring a whole different technique of rally driving. Its an environment where experience, anticipation, and knowledge of pace-notes will come into their own.

None of that should make a whole lot of difference to the two men at the front of the very strong field, Denis Biggerstaff and Robin Philips. Denis is the reigning champion, and his zippy little Metro 6R4 should be ideal on some of the 'tight stuff'. Chambers Homes man Philips, current Championship leader by a short head and although the younger of the two, probably has more pure pace note experience. Robin's car, the DGM Toyota GT4, should, with its superb suspension set up, be ideally suited to the conditions. Really though, its a very close call. Indeed it could be a day of surprises.

Chubb NI manager Wesley Patterson at 3 has totally rebuilt his Sierra Cosworth, and he might just be the man to set the times. Trevor Moore at 4 is thought of as very much a forestry driver, but today's tight gravelly stages could be just the place for the Greenisland man to turn on the heat. Obviously his Escort Cosworth has to stay going, but the car seems to be behaving itself recently. James Gillen at 5 could be a real dark horse, the Castlederg man well used to these sort of conditions from years past. Then its Gary White at 6. The Finaghy garage man seems at last to have some reliability as well as speed from his Escort Cosworth.

Dublin brothers George and Alan Tracey are next up in their Metro 6R4, fresh from the Midland Rally yesterday. Keith White, 4th in the Woodland Furniture points table is next up. Richard Hall at 9 has just completed a full rebuild of his Escort Cosworth, and today's stages could suit the Ballyclare man to a T. Rounding off the top ten is Owen Lamont in his Subaru.

Outside the top ten there are lots of very capable drivers - Dan McCartan in his GpN Lancer, Woodland Furniture boss Kieran Shaw, Richard Hogg, his Lancer engine just rebuilt, insurance man Fintan McGrady, former Champion George Robinson, Donegal's Brendan Kelly, very quick in his Mitsubishi, Sean Cassidy, this time running a standard engine in his Escort Cosworth, Glenn Allen, Mk2 Escort pilote extraordinaire, Douglas Richardson up from Dublin - that takes us up to 20 in the entry list and there are many  more outside of that who could be on the leaderboard today. Should be fascinating. More news from Granville service. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON