Kenny McKinstry, former Tarmac and ANCRO Rally Champion, has entered for next weekend’s Manx International and will drive the Impreza WRC S8 as used by Andrew Nesbitt to win the last 2 rounds, the Shell Donegal and the Jim Clark. Eugene Donnelly is also missing the Manx, which swings the current Tarmac series pendulum ever further towards Derek McGarrity. Kenny McKinstry has finished 2^nd on the Manx International, once behind Richard Burns and once behind Malcolm Wilson, and would dearly love a win to add to his extensive CV.

John O’Connell will be the Clerk of the Course of the 2004 Galway International. Galway was to be the final counter in this year’s Tarmac Championship, the decision having been taken some time ago to shelve this year’s event and concentrate on getting it back to its original February date. O’Connell has great experience in running the rally, and promises to return it to its original prominence, based in Galway City.

Former Champion Dermot Kelly heads the 120 strong list for this weekend’s two day Cork Forestry Rally, penultimate round of the KBB Doors Forestry Championship. Kelly will be on home ground but faces one of the strongest line-ups for years in the forestry series, with Trevor Moore, Glenn Allen and Dominic McNeill, all in Escort WRC’s, joining this year’s Championship regulars. The rally is based in Mallow and will have 14 stages.

Current points leader of the KBB Doors Forestry series before this weekend’s Cork event is Eddie Kinirons on 74, with Kevin O’Kane on 67, John McCarthy 61 and John Shanahan on 57 with his GpN Impreza. Taking into account dropped scores, the ball is still in McCarthy’s court regarding the title chase. Shanahan has had little opposition in the GpN race but will face tougher opposition this weekend with several Lancers from the Promax stable entered, including Paul Alexander and Phil Morgan.

The Ford Ireland KA Championship resumes on this weekend’s Cork Forestry with 15 of the Pirelli shod cars entered, including front runners Ian Chadwick, Emily O’Mahony and Vivian Noone.

Letterkenny’s Shaun Gallagher suffered his first retirement from 25 events when he burst his Peugeot 206’s sump on a heavy landing after a stage 3 jump on the Terre des Langes last weekend. Billy Coleman award winner Shaun had been lying 2^nd at the time.

Marcus Dodd and Eugene Donnelly are the latest two entries for the 23^rd August Triton Showers Lurgan Park Rally.

Eugene Donnelly was the convincing winner of last weekend’s Derry based Lark in the Park Rally, which also included an eight mile stage repeated three times in Donegal. Donnelly’s Celica finished 18 seconds ahead of Seamus Donnelly’s Escort, with Ivan Stewart 3^rd in his Escort WRC. Garry Jennings in his Peugeot 106 Maxi had been fighting for 2^nd but a late spin relegated the Ballinamallard man to 4^th.

Armagh’s Maurice Gass has decided to concentrate his efforts on the Ulster and Cork events as his Tarmac Championship hopes evaporated with his retirements on the Donegal and Jim Clark events. Maurice will also take his Impreza WRC to selected Irish National rallies plus the Lurgan Park event.

Brian Patterson.