RALLY NEWS NO.1                   Downhill Hotel/Ballina/Sunday morning early..

A new day, a new season, a new Dunlop National Rally Championship start, and lined up here in Ballina we have a fabulous array of rally machinery. The full complement of 131 cars will head out to tackle the 9 special stages. The weather doesn't look great, the roads will be wet in places, but that is all part of the sport. First on the road will be defending Dunlop National Champion Niall Maguire in his Subaru Impreza WRC, closely followed by Galway International winner and current Forestry Champion Eugene Donnelly in a similar but slightly older version Impreza WRC. David Armstrong at 3 in the ex Melvyn Evans Escort WRC breaks the Subaru line up, while behind that we have a further three Impreza WRCs, in the hands Michael Barrable, Jim Harrison and Patrick Elliott. Charlie Donnelly (Toyota), Kieran Shaw (Escort WRC), James Gillen (Escort Cosworth) and Adrian McElvanney (Impreza WRC) make up the top ten. Niall Maguire's co driver Paul McLoughlin studied the entry, and commented "Niall's in good form, he's up for it. We're in the firing line now, we'll just have to get on with it".

Any of the top drivers could win this rally, the outcome likely have to a significant effect on this year's Championship. There are many new driver/car combinations, which really does put a totally new shade to the Dunlop series. Adrian McElvaney is in a McKinstry Impreza WRC, being run by Stan Harper. It is his first outing for a while and indeed first time in anything like a WRC Impreza, so he says he'll be learning to walk before he runs in the car! Adrian could however be a real surprise package. Also out in a new car is English visitor Jim Harrison - he's driving a 2000 Impreza WRC new to the McKinstry stable, a left hand drive sequential change car from Procar in Italy. Jim has been close to winning a National Rally a couple of times, so he shouldn't be a mile away today if he gets a good run. Kieran Shaw tells us that his Escort WRC is flying since preparation man Dominic McNeill replaced the intercooler - they discovered it was full of holes and that was why the car never seemed that sharp all last year. Charlie Donnelly is driving brother Eugene's Celica this time, not his own, and if the roads dry at all Charlie shouldn't be a mile away. Patrick Elliott is out for the first time in his Impreza WRC. The Cavan man had an accident here last year, and he reckons he will be trying no heroics today. David Armstrong's Escort WRC is a very sharp machine, so he could spring a surprise.  The men who could set the pace early on today should be Niall Maguire, Michael Barrable and Eugene Donnelly. Maghera man Eugene, who is driving a Stan Harper '98 Impreza, reckons this won't be an easy rally to win, that there is some fabulous machinery out there, but he is certainly going to try!

Outside the top ten there are some pretty good drivers as well- Glen Allen at 11 has his Escort WRC in top shape, while Sean Gallagher and Ivan Stewart, both in Escort Cosworths, won't be hanging about. At 14,15 & 16 are the three lead GpN contenders, Seamus Leonard (Subaru), Andrew Stewart and Aaron McHale in Lancers. If the roads are as wet as predicted, possibly Leonard in his nimble 2 door Impreza will have a slight edge, but it is probably too close to call. A dark GpN horse could be Stuart Darcy in his Lancer.  Non starters include Noel McCarrick, Anthony O'Halloran, Camillus Bradley, John Cairns and Martin Brady. Derrick Jobb, with young Killian Duffy co-driving, moves up from 34 to 29.  BRIAN AND LIZ  PATTERSON