Fermanagh’s Aisling Dooris, winner of the Ladies Award in 2002 on the Toshiba Tarmac Championship, the NI Championship and the Louise Aitken Walker award on the Jim Clark, has decided to concentrate solely on the Tarmac series this year. Aisling, who will be co-driven again by Wendy Blackledge, will drive a Suzuki Swift and starts her campaign with the Circuit of Ireland, which is centred on her home town of Enniskillen.

London based Limerick man Ollie O’Donovan has sold his Impreza to Welshman Glyn Jones, who has bought it for his son. Ollie will now drive one of Kenny McKinstry’s ‘active’ Imprezas on this Saturday’s Rallye Sunseeker.

Former NI Junior Rally Champion David Crossen will contest the Malcolm Wilson Rally in a new LHD Ford Ka. 22 year old David, from Moneyreagh, will have Andrew Bush co-driving and intends to have a go at the entire UK Ka series.

Billy Coleman’s son Gordon is competing on the opening round of the Ford Ireland Ka series this Sunday on the William Loughmann forestry rally. Keith Lyons, son of another well known driver, Ken Lyons, is also dipping his toe in the Ka waters.

The Carrick on Suir based William Loughman Rally is the opening round of the KBB Doors Championship as well as the Triton Showers South East Championship. John McCarthy in the ex Bertie Fisher Impreza, John Donnelly in an Escort WRC plus former champions Dermot Kelly and Kevin O’Kane ( Escort WRC & Subaru) are amongst the top entries.

Eugene Donnelly, Trevor Moore and Maurice Gass are the top three seeds for this Saturday’s Kirkistown Rally, which kicks off the NI Stage Championship.

The IRCA (Irish Rally Competitors Association) will now hold their regional meeting every 3 months, with the competitor’s views then being passed on directly to the Motorsport Ireland Rallies Committee. There are meetings this week in Claremorris, Carlow, Monaghan and Mallow.