Seamus Leonard, one of the quickest GpN men on the Tarmac Championship in 1999, is in negotiation with Prodrive for the latest GpN Impreza. His usual co-driver, Gerry McVeigh, will be out of action for some time following an operation.

Ann-Marie Fitzgerald has taken on the Clerk of the Course role for the 29^th June Ravens Rock Rally. The event will have a new base at Waterford’s Jurys Hotel and will be a counter in several major championships, including the Dunlop National, Get Connected and Triton Showers South East.

The March 10^th Mayo Stages, normally referred to as ‘Ballina’, is in fact based in Castlebar this time. The Dunlop National Championship opener is using Breaffy House Hotel as HQ.

Rory Kennedy, who partnered Seamus Burke to 4^th on the North American SnoDrift Rally and is tipped to be partnering Alistair Ginley on the Pirelli British Championship this year, is looking for a quick run on the Circuit of Ireland.

Birr Rally, based in Dooley’s Hotel this Sunday, has a vastly oversubscribed entry which will be spearheaded by the Higgins brothers Pat and Liam, who scored an exciting 1 second victory over David and Owen Percy on the event last year. Being of ‘clubmans’ classification, Mk2 Escorts will be to the fore, but perhaps rapid Monaghan man Maurice Moffett can break the Ford dominance in his RWD Peugeot.

Eurocables are again backing North Armagh’s 23^rd February Kirkistown Rally, opening round of the NI Stages Championship.

Almost thirty ‘outdated’ helmets were piled in the corner of the scrutineer’s office before the start of last weekend’s Mitchelstown forestry event. Competitors were well warned that the specification of helmets and harnesses was being stepped up this year, but many ignored this. It is worth noting by prospective visiting UK crews to rallies such as West Cork that there is now a difference in the regulations between Ireland, not only in helmets and harnesses, but also extinguishers.

Happily John McKeown and his co-driver Martin Carey were quickly released from hospital after the Mitchelstown Forestry, bumps and bruises their only malaise.

Trevor Moore, Keith White and Dermot O’Hagan are just some of the top drivers contesting this Saturday’s Mid Antrim MC’s stage event through Tardree Forest complex. The first car will leave the Ross Park Hotel at 11.30, with the finish scheduled for just after 3.00pm.

Brian Patterson.

ã 2002 www.rallynews.net (Patterson Agencies). All rights reserved. Unauthorised duplication is a violation of applicable laws. 26/08/02 11:01