National Champion Niall Maguire in his Impreza WRC is the top seed on this weekend’s Circuit of Kerry Rally, based in Tralee’s Abbeygate Hotel. Austin McHale, Peadar Hurson and Tim McNulty are just three debuting Impreza WRC’s to spearhead a stunning 151 strong entry, even though the event is on an opt out year from the Dunlop National series.

The 8 stage Kerry Rally is a counter in the Ford Ireland KA series as well the opening round of the Top Part West Coast Championship. Co. Tipperary’s Vivian Noone is the current leader of the Ford Ireland KA Championship, Eoghan Fogarty 2^nd, Ian Chadwick 3^rd and Martin Laverty 4^th.

Mooncoin’s Eoin Doyle visited Prodrive last week and clinched a deal for a new GpN Subaru Impreza. The Suir Engineering man should debut the new car on the Circuit of Munster. Liam O’Callaghan meanwhile is driving the Prodrive development GpN Impreza on the Killarney Rally of the Lakes. This will be a final check on all the new engineering, which will be incorporated into Doyle’s new machine.

The Killarney Rally of the Lakes, 2^nd round of the Tarmac Championship, will once again be backed by Ordnance Survey Ireland as well as the Gleneagle Hotel, and at a press conference in Dublin last week exciting plans for the future of the rally were mapped out.

Dunmurry’s Gary White took his Escort Cosworth to a fine win on last Saturday’s Kilbroney stage event. Norman Armstrong finished 2^nd in his 2.4 litre Escort MK2 with Norman Moore (Astra) 3^rd and Craigavon’s Mark Doyle 4th in his Peugeot 106. Gary White was glad of the competition miles as a familiarisation with his recently acquired high specification 7 speed Escort Cosworth, and is determined to have a ‘good go’ on the Easter Stages event.

Rory Kennedy will partner Billy Coleman award winner and Peugeot 206 SuperCup star Shaun Gallagher on the Circuit of Ireland in a David Greer prepared GpN Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7. Other top Circuit GpN entries include Roy White, Aaron McHale, Dickie Curran and Andrew Stewart in Lancers, with Seamus Leonard in his Subaru likely to be the benchmark.

As we went to press there was still no news of a Circuit of Ireland entry from last year’s winner and current Tarmac Champion Andrew Nesbitt. Persistent speculation suggests that Andrew may appear later in the season in a Peugeot 206 WRC, but although prepared to admit it was a possibility, the Armagh man maintains that he is not in a position to confirm anything just yet.

The Ulster Automobile Club will be announcing the Circuit of Ireland entry later this week. If Andrew Nesbitt doesn’t make a last minute application, Austin McHale is expected to be the top seed. Derek McGarrity and Eamonn Boland, also in the latest 2002 specification Impreza WRC’s should be at 2 & 3, with Eugene Donnelly in a ’98 specification Impreza WRC at 4.

Welshman Glyn Jones has made an entry for the Circuit of Ireland in his Kenny McKinstry run Impreza WRC and has asked Paul Goodman to co-drive. Glyn’s son Gareth is also doing the Circuit, in the ex Ollie O’Donovan GpA Impreza with Ryland James co-driving.

Clonmel’s Gus Kearney has acquired the ex Daniel Dunbabin Peugeot 206 SuperCup car and plans to compete mostly in the Irish forestry events, but also plans a few UK Super Cup rallies later in the season. The car will be run under the SEPAM Specialist banner.

Regards, Brian Patterson.