Andrew Nesbitt may be missing the Manx, but his 14 year old Graham son is keeping the family activity going. Along with two other sons of well known Irish rally men – Maurice Gass’s son Darren (15) and Willie John Dolan’s son Richard (16), they are just some of an Irish party heading to the Ford Academy next week.

Tarmac Champion Nesbitt hasn’t turned his back on rallying by any means in missing the Manx, and commented, "We’ll almost certainly do the Ulster rally now that it is based at home, Armagh. However what I really want to do as well is a round of the WRC, Catalunya or San Remo. Prodrive is working on that for me. I never intended to defend my Tarmac title, and it is so easy to get sucked in."

Eamonn Boland is tipped to switch to a RHD Impreza WRC S8 for the Manx Rally, almost certainly the car with which Derek McGarrity won the Circuit of Ireland and which is now in JJ Fleming’s hands.

Peader Hurson has a last minute business obligation which means he is another forced to miss the Manx.

Maurice Gass is the latest driver to enter for the 23^rd August Lurgan Park Rally. The Millview Fuels man intends to drive an Impreza WRC S8, his Impreza WRC S7 having moved to the Phil Morgan stable and which could well be driven by Tapio Laukkanan on this week’s Manx. It transpires that last week’s story that Marcus Dodd was entering for Lurgan Park was incorrect.

Popular Limerick man Aidan Walsh heads the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship after the first two rounds, with John Kearney 2^nd and Peter Clifford 3^rd and also leading GpN. Sean Moriarity is the leading co-driver from John Young and the next round is the 31^st August Galway Summer Rally.

Trevor Cathers is on course to compete on the Ulster Rally, in Willie John Dolan’s GpN Subaru Impreza. Omagh man Trevor was leading GpN on the Killarney Lakes when he went off on the Caragh Lake stage. The car had a fair bit of panel damage and has now been repaired.

Gerry Smyth came through strongly at the end to win the Kiltimagh based Mayo Stage Rally last Saturday, with early leader Tom Halliday having mechanical problems with his Escort on the last stage. Seamus Hegarty (Escort) was 2^nd and PJ McElhenny (Peugeot) 3^rd.

Philip Morrow the young NI rally scholarship winner has been forced to withdraw his entry from the Harry Flatters due to lack of finances and will instead concentrate on giving the Ulster Rally 100 % effort. Philip has managed to get on to the Peugeot 206 SuperCup pace on the gravel but feels he needs more asphalt experience. Regards, Brian Patterson.