MURPHY TESTS WORLD RALLY CAR

Cumbria, 22nd NOVEMBER 2002: The inaugural Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship, Colm Murphy from Athea, Co. Limerick has tested a World Rally Car Ford Focus at M-Sport in Cumbria.
This official test was part of the overall prize fund for winning the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship. The car utilised was Carlo Sainz's Ford Focus World Rally Car from the final round of the World Rally Championship, Rally GB. Which Carlos drove to third position overall. Ford works driver Mark Higgins was present at the test to show Colm the "ropes". Mark initially drove Colm around the test stage in a Volvo Recce car and then in the Ford Focus World Rally Car to teach him about the controls of the car. Finally Colm along with his co-driver Teddy Ahern did four runs in the car. Present at the test were all of Ford Rallysports top management including Martin Whittaker, Alan Rose and Malcolm Wilson.
Commenting after driving the Ford Focus RS WRC 02, a jubilant Colm Murphy said, "The car is absolutely amazing the level of power and grip is phenomenal. It really is like being allowed to drive Michael Schumacher's car. I had very little time to acclimatise to the car, as it was left hand drive, paddle gear change, and various differential settings. This test has helped my career and me enormously and I am now more focused than ever before to move onto greater things within the sport. I would like to thank Ford for allowing me the opportunity to test such a car and it is a great feeling to have the support of a major manufacturer behind you".
Colm now moves to Boreham on the 5th of December where he will test a Super 1600 Ford Puma as the second part of his overall prize for winning the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship.

Makinen confirms Lindstrom for 2003

The 555 Subaru World Rally Team announced today that 33-year-old Kaj Lindström will continue in his role as co-driver to Tommi Mäkinen for the whole of the 2003 WRC season.
> British Championship winner in 1999, Lindström was initially drafted in as a temporary substitute for Tommi's regular co-driver Risto Mannisenmaki, who was injured in an accident during the 2001 Tour de Corse.
Unfortunately however, the seriousness of Risto's injuries meant that he was unable to resume his co-driving duties this year. Instead Lindström, who first partnered Mäkinen on the 2001 Rally of Great Britain, remained in the co-driver's seat for the whole of the Finn's debut season with Subaru.
555 Subaru Team Principal David Lapworth said: "Kaj joined the team at the beginning of the year in difficult circumstances following Risto's injuries. Throughout the season, he and Tommi developed a very good working relationship both in the car, and as part of the team.
"In order to build on this, and enable us to focus on the 2003 campaign we feel it better to confirm now that they will continue to work together next year, rather than leave any uncertainty.
"At the beginning of 2002 we were optimistic that Tommi and Risto would be able to renew their partership and the team was looking forward to working with them both, unfortunately though Risto's recovery took longer than originally expected. During the year Tommi and Kaj's working relationship developed positively, so the team and Tommi felt it better to capitalise on this good experience and ask Kaj to remain as co-driver. It's a decision that I believe will give them a firm foundation for success in 2003."

Killarney Historic Stages Rally

RALLY RIVALS SQUARE UP FOR HISTORIC RALLY
The organisers of the EPS Bison/Red Mills 2002 Killarney Historic Stages Rally, the Killarney & District Motor Club, have attracted entries from the leading exponents of Historic and Classic rallying from Ireland and further afield for the event which will take place on Sunday, December 1st. The competing crews will tackle ten stages during the day, and the respective winners in the categories for Historic, Post-Historic and Classic cars will arrive at the Finish Ramp, adjacent to the Dromhall Hotel (Rally Headquarters) at 5.45p.m. on Sunday evening.
Dessie Nutt, a GP from Blackrock, Co .Derry, has won the Historic section for the past four events, and he returns to further extend his winning streak with his Porsche 911. His main rivals will be John Keatley, also a former winner, and Drexel Gillespie, who finished runner-up to Nutt on the last occasion this event was run.
In the Post-Historic section, it is Manxman, Martin Freestone, who is the top seed, having had considerable success in his Mark1 Escort throughout 2002. He won the category at this event in 1999, while two of the other top Post-Historic seeds, Lloyd Hutchinson and John Farrell, are also former winners.
The Classic section is the most likely to produce a local victory, as KDMC members Tom Randles and Donie O'Sullivan should be well in contention. They will however, be sternly challenged by capable visiting drivers, such as Philip Shaw, Kieran O'Neill, Phil Collins and James Lambert.
The rally route includes famous stages, such as Molls Gap, Kilmackillogue, The Healy Pass, Cod's Head and Ardgroom. The final stage, Derreenderragh, will be run in darkness, providing a final sting in the tail before the conclusion of the event.
Top Seeds (No./Driver/Co-Driver/Address/Car)

Historic
1 Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride, Northern Ireland, Porsche 911
2 John Keatley/Maurice Beckett, Northern Ireland, Porsche 911
3 Drexel Gillespie/Gill Cotton, N.Ireland/England, Ford Lotus Cortina
5 Philip Wylie/Jim Howe, England, MG B
10 Steve Perez/Jonty Bolsover, England, Porsche 911

Post-Historic
4 Martin Freestone/Chris Heyes, Isle of Man, Ford Escort RS2000
6 Lloyd Hutchinson/Lester Hutchinson, Wicklow, Mini Cooper S
7 John Farrell/Christy Farrell, Meath, Ford Escort RS2000
8 Sean Tracy/Paddy Flanagan, Northern Ireland, BMW 2002ti
9 Ray Cunningham/Elaine Cunningham, Galway, Mini Cooper S

Classic
66 Philip Shaw/Derek Brannigan, Northern Ireland, Ford Escort RS
67 Kieran O'Neill/Diarmuid Falvey, N.Ireland/Killarney Opel Kadett GT/E
68 Phil Collins/Howard Davies, Wales, Ford Escort RS
69 Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle, Killarney, Ford Escort RS
70 Tom Randles/Diarmuid Lynch, Kilgarvan/Glenflesk, Ford Escort RS

Timetable (First Car Due)
Start, Killarney Racecourse, 0810
Stage 1, Molls Gap, 0835
Stage 2, Kilmackillogue, 0928
Stage 3, The Healy Pass, 0951
Service, Castletownbere, 1004
Stage 4, Cod's Head, 1126
Stage 5, Ardgroom, 1154
Stage 6, The Healy Pass, 1236
Service, Castletownbere, 1249
Stage 7, Cod's Head, 1411
Stage 8, Ardgroom, 1439
Stage 9, Kilmackillogue, 1518
Stage 10, Dereenderragh, 1711
Finish Ramp, Randles Garage (Muckross Road, Killarney), 1745

Gerry Keyes takes 2002 Ka Championship

Gerry Keyes from Crecora, Co. Limerick has won the 2002 Ford Ireland KA Rally Championship after finishing third on the final round of the highly charged 2002 series, at the Kingdom Fastfit/Yokohama Kerry Single Stage Rally.
Gerry in the O'Dwyer Steel/ PJ Matthews/ Lyons of Limerick Ford KA has been the pace setter all year, dominating the series with four wins, one second and one third place finish on the seven round national series. However this domination was due to a steely determination and total commitment by the Limerickman, despite a bad accident in September which would have sidelined a lesser mortal. Gerry made a miraculous recovery to compete on the final round of the series, where he only had to finish in ninth position to clinch the title. Gerry cruised home in a magnificent third position despite the inclement weather to claim the national title after competing on six out of the seven round series throughout Ireland.
"It has been an extremely tough year. It was all going to plan until the accident I was involved in September, I am fully recovered but it was a definite setback. However I must admit that it was also a brilliant year, I was determined to win the Championship form the very first event and it has been a long time coming but I will savour the victory all the more now. You always have to work extremely hard for everything worth while in life. I would like to thank all the people who helped me this year. Pirelli tyres for excellent rubber that kept us on the ground, all my sponsors, my brilliant navigator Christian Shanahan and of course my Ford KA which is an amazing rally car it has been 100% reliable" said Gerry.
In a final twist to the series Gerry's navigator Christina Shanahan also from Limerick has won the co-drivers section of the 2002 Ford Ireland KA Rally Championship for the second year in a row but she is also the girlfriend of second placed David Lyons.
"We must congratulate Gerry Keyes on a brilliant and well deserved victory despite all his setbacks he clinched the title in style on the final round. It has been an extremely tough year for all involved and the final Championship positions were not finalised until the final round of the Championship." said Declan Foley, KA Brand Manager.

GSMC Single Stage Rally

Competitors intending to take part in the Germaines Hotel 2002 GSMC Single Stage Rally (December 8th) are urged to submit their entries in the next couple of days because of the threatened postal strike.
The Germaines Hotel Restricted Single Stage Rally, organised by the Garda Siochana Motor Club, will take place in south Co. Wicklow on Sunday, December 8th.
As with all Retricted Single Stage events in the Republic of Ireland, entry will be confined to drivers who have not finished in the top ten of any multi-stage rally in the current or previous calendar year. No four wheel drive cars, or other cars of over 2050cc, will be permitted

MEC Rallysprint

The event which took place in Mondelo Park in Naas was won by Kevin Barrett in his Subaru WRC

Top Ten

1 Kevin Barrett (Impreza WRC) 10m 35.16s,
2 Eddie Kinirons (Celica GT4) 10m 55.53s,
3 Mick Curtis (Tigra) 10m 56.44s,
4 Dave Breach (Lancer Evo 6) 11m 10.54s,
5 Joe Murray (Lancer Evo 6) 11m 17.46s,
6 Paraic Cummins (Escort G3) 11m 22.55s,
7 Vincent Deery (Nova) 11m 26.73s,
8 Seamus Doyle (Escort) 11m 27.23s,
9 Des Bruton (Peugeot 205) 11m 32.82s,
10 Declan Tansey (Escort) 11m 38.64s.

Border Championship celebrates 10th anniversary

At the forthcoming 2002 Border Rally Championship Prizegiving Ceremony to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel & Leisure Club, Coolshannagh, Monaghan on Friday 29th November marks the 10th Anniversary of what has been described as Ireland's most popluar 'Clubman's Championship'.
From humble beginnings in 1992, the 6 Round Series has grown from strength to strength with well over 200 competitors vying for various prizes including the Derryveagh Crystal Perpetual Trophy for the victorious Driver and the Brian McGrath Memorial Trophy for the Class 12 winner
. A capacity crowd is expected at the Four Seasons Hotel for the Prizegiving Gala Dinenr to pay tribute to the 2002 Border Rally Champions – John Kelly (Driver) and Noel Hall (Navigator). Some tickets for the event at €10 each are still available from Border Registrar, John Duffy, Mullinmore Street, Crossmolina, County Mayo and can be booked by telephone on 096 31646 (evenings) or 087 9583240.
Please note the Prizegiving Gala Dinner is ticket only.
N.B. There will be no admission without a ticket, as competitors who finished among the prizewinners must be present to collect their respective awards. If unable to receive his award on the night of the prizegiving, he must advise the Register of the name of the person, who will collect his award on his behalf. Awards not collected on the night will be deemed forfeit.

Overall Positions – 2002 Four Seasons Hotel Border Rally Championship
Driver / Address / Car / Class
John Kelly / Monaghan / Toyota Corolla / Class 16
Trevor Lancashire / Monaghan / Escort MK II / Class 11
John McElhinney / Donegal / Suzuki Swift / Class 1

Navigator / Address / Car / Class
Noel Hall / Monaghan / Escort MK II / Class 12
Brendan McElhinney / Donegal / Suzuki Swift / Class 1
Paul McLoughlin / Donegal/Mayo / Subaru Impreza WRC / Class 8

Dunlop National Championship final Results

The prizegiving for the championship will be held in the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny on Saturday, 23 November 2002. Tickets are available by forwarding a cheque of EUR30.00 per ticket to "Anita, Elliot Construction, Whitegate Cross, Virginia, Co Cavan". Each award winner will be posted two tickets.

DUNLOP NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2002 F I N A L R E S U L T S OVERALL POSITIONS
Posn Driver Points Posn Navigator Points
1 Niall Maguire 158 1 Paul McLaughlin 158
2 Patrick Elliot 130 2 Sean Moriarty 130
3 Sean Gallagher 110 3 Liam Costello 95
4 David Armstrong 88 4 Herbie Blackburn 91
5 James McCann 71 5 Paul McCann 74
6 Michael Barrable 58 6 Damien Connolly 63
7 Aaron Mac Hale 58 7 John Loughran 59
8 Thomas Randles 54 8 Dermot O'Gorman 58
9 Mac McKenna 52 9 Diarmuid Lynch 56
10 Joe Mac Hugh 39 10 Tony Mulcahy 39

CLASS POSITIONS
Class One
1 Aidan Bourke 50 1 Robert Nolan 50
2 Trevor Graham 39 2 Stephen Furey 40
3 Paul Kennedy 38 3 Kathleen Kennedy 39

Class Two
1 John Hegarty 50 1 Patrick McGlynn 40
2 Owen O'Neill 20

Class Three
1 Thomas Taaffe 54 1 Susan Doggett 54
2 Wesley Roberts 49 2 Martin Carey 38
3 Roger Kennedy 38 3 Conor Foley 16

Class Four
1 Aaron Mac Hale 55 1 Damien Connolly 57
2 Patrick Price 47 2 Karen Price 50
3 Martin Brady 43 3 Killian Duffy 39

Class Five
1 Kenneth Mulvaney 61 1 Christina Shanahan 48
2 Gerry Keyes 48 2 Paul Ollerenshaw 26
3 David Lyons 32 3 Trevor Payne 25

Class Six
1 James Travers 48 1 Niall Keogh 48
2 Shane McCarthy 46 2 Tony Mulcahy 46
3 Brendan Cumiskey 44 3 Con Mulcahy 22

Class Seven
1 John Shaw 43 1 Martin McGarrity 43
2 Andrew Browne 28 2 Keefe Kilcoyne 28
3 Eamonn Walsh 24

Class Eight
O/A Niall Maguire 78 O/A Paul McLaughlin 78
O/A Patrick Elliot 59 O/A Sean Moriarty 59
1 Michael Barrable 28 1 Dermot O'Gorman 28
2 Kieran Shaw 15 2 Crawford Henderson 15

Class Nine
1 Kenneth O'Neill 50 1 Cormac Casey 18
2 Ger Neeson 32 2 Sue Moloney 18
3 Roland Doherty 18

Class Ten
1 James O'Sullivan 40 1 Bill Fitzgerald 30
2 Shane McEneaney 27 2 Paul McArdle 27
3 Trevor Payne 10

Class Eleven
1 Rodney Wilton 62 1 Peter Leahy 53
2 Seamus Murphy 46 2 Graham Kelly 48
3 Peter Rogers 44 3 Byron Davidson 44

Class Twelve
1 Cathal McGlone 62 1 Gerry Gumley 62
2 Ollie O'Reilly 60 2 Noel Hall 56
3 Trevor Lancashire 55 3 Brian Burke 54

Class Thirteen
1 Mac McKenna 60 1 John Loughran 60
2 Peter Rahill 34
Class Fourteen
1 Douglas Richardson 59 1 Diarmuid Lynch 56
2 Thomas Randles 56 2 Paula Richardson 50
3 David Long 35 3 June Long 36

Class Fifteen
O/A Sean Gallagher 74 O/A Liam Costello 64
1 James McCann 60 1 Paul McCann 61
2 David Armstrong 55 2 Herbie Blackburn 55
3 Joe Mac Hugh 29 3 Dermot Mac Hugh 23

Class Sixteen
1 John Kelly 70 1 Mark Tierney 50
2 Peter Kelly 69 2 Margaret Boyle 39
3 Raymond Gilleece 44 3 Eamonn Walsh 18

Mickey Farrell Award
1 John Kelly 70 Class 16

JUSSI VALIMAKI TO DRIVE ACCENT WRC IN 2003

Motor Sport Developments Ltd. (MSD) announced today that rising Finnish talent Jussi Valimaki will enter at least seven rounds of the 2003 FIA World Rally Championship in a full specification Hyundai Accent World Rally Car.
Valimaki's first WRC outing will be in the Swedish Rally in February and will be followed by six other events currently to be confirmed. He will also take part in other non-Championship events.
"I am very happy with this step," said 28-year-old Jussi. "My target for 2003 was to move up to driving a World Rally Car and this team is the best scenario we could have imagined to enable me to learn more and develop my experience – hopefully resulting in a works drive in the future. I must thank all those people that have helped me during the years to get to this position and I intend to take full advantage of this opportunity."
The first test with the Hyundai will be following the Rally of Great Britain in Wales. "It is good to get a feeling for the car so soon as I believe that an early start to our preparations, coupled with hard work and thorough testing will produce good results, especially on the rallies that I know well," said Jussi, just before his third Rally of Great Britain. Despite his youth, the enthusiastic Finn already has 21 WRC starts in 10 different World Championship Rallies.
Tero Gardemeister, his experienced co-driver said "It has been interesting to follow how Jussi has been developing this year and I am very confident for 2003."
MSD, the company behind the Hyundai Castrol World Rally Team, will prepare and run the car from their Milton Keynes base. Paul Risbridger, in charge of the project enthused, "Jussi is an exciting prospect for 2003 and we are pleased to be able to form a partnership at this stage of his career. We are confident that the Accent WRC³ is the right car to tackle the variety of events planned for 2003 and we look forward to working closely with him throughout the programme"

MITSUBISHI READY FOR WET & WINDY WALES

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart concluded its final preparations for the Rally of Great Britain today in advance of the start of the last round of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship. The team's preparatory work for its home event has proved more important than ever, as François Delecour will be competing with a new co-driver and Justin Dale is deputising for the convalescing Alister McRae. Jani Paasonen and co-driver Arto Kapanen remain a constant in the team however, and the Finns will be piloting the third Lancer Evolution WRC2 in Wales.
The shakedown test, 75 kilometres to the west of Cardiff, was the culmination of the team's pre-event testing, both Jani Paasonen and Justin Dale having undertaken a three-day test prior to the start of the recce. With more than 440 kilometres run on representative roads, combined with fine-tuning over the 6.3 kilometre shakedown road this morning, both drivers are confident they have found the optimum set-up for the 390.57 kilometres of competition ahead. As Britain moves into its winter months, typically overcast and wet weather greeted the teams this morning making conditions on the shakedown stage as treacherously slippery as ever.
François Delecour will be competing in Britain with a new co-driver, fellow countryman Dominique Savignoni standing in for Daniel Grataloup, who has now returned to France following injuries sustained during Rally Australia. François is also still recovering from their accident ten days ago and admits he is not one hundred percent fit. "I am maybe on 85 per cent at the moment," said François. "My foot is okay, but my ribs are hurting quite a bit and I am wearing a body brace to try to ease the pain. I notice it more at the end of a stage, obviously, so we will have to see how it goes. The accident was only ten days ago and I think another week for my recovery would have made a difference. For Dominique it is obviously going to be a very tough rally but he has been working hard and we know how important it is that we try our best for Mitsubishi."
2002 British Super 1600 Rally Champion Justin Dale is driving the second Lancer Evolution WRC2 in place of the recuperating Alister McRae, the Scot still in Australia following on-going tests. While Justin has extensive knowledge of the British forests, his experience in four-wheel drive machinery is limited, however his relationship with the team was one of the deciding factors in him being offered a dream opportunity.
"When I got the call it was an amazing feeling and a driver's dream to be competing in the World Championship with a factory team," said Justin. "I've been doing some test and demonstration work with the team this year so although I don't have so much experience in a world rally car, I do at least have some knowledge and have about 500 kilometres of testing under my belt. It's still a huge transition though and a new style takes time; every kilometre I do is valuable. My role here is to back-up François and Jani and certainly during the opening leg I'll be playing myself in and seeing what happens. Hopefully we'll be able to pick up the pace on the second and third legs, but it also depends what happens with my team-mates. If needs be, we'll be there to push for the team."
Jani Paasonen and Arto Kapanen are competing together in the Rally of Great Britain for the first time in their careers, however the Finns have proved themselves adaptable and will be gunning for points in the final round of the season.
"For sure with this type of wet weather the roads get worse and worse, but I have been surprised that the conditions have not been as bad as I'd expected," commented Jani. "The profile of the stages is quite similar to Finland and New Zealand and there are some nice sections; I have been enjoying it a lot so far. I'm probably as confident as I can be under the circumstances. My goal is to make no mistakes and if things go well, maybe fifth or sixth would be possible. I have to drive hard but carefully though, the team needs us to do well for the Championship; that is very important."
Adding to the drivers' comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Derek Dauncey said: "François visited one of the FIA's approved hospitals in Paris last week and was given the all-clear, which is good news, but he is in some discomfort and didn't do the pre-event test, giving him more time to recover. If he can hang in there, history shows that patience can pay off here. Justin has been working with the team over the course of the year and he was our first choice for a third car; we wanted to give him a chance and his knowledge of the roads is good. Sure, he needs more experience and we're not expecting miracles. The rally will be an education for Jani. We'd always looked at this rally being part of his programme and from what we've seen in Sweden, Finland and New Zealand the typically British conditions should suit him."
The Rally of Great Britain kicks off in Cardiff this evening at 18:30 hrs with a ceremonial start in the busy city centre. Crews then head to the purpose-built super special stage in the docks for a quick blast around the dual-lane circuit before returning for the overnight halt. The forestry action begins in earnest on Friday morning when the crews tackle a total of seven stages and 135.03 competitive kilometres in south Wales.

Valentino Rossi was back behind the wheel of the Michelin-206 WRC he will drive on next week's Rally of Great Britain for two more days of practice on Wednesday and Thursday (Nov 7th-8th). The MotoGP star covered some 130km over two different stages in the forested hills between Turin and Savona, Italy. His programme included night driving, and also gave him a preliminary taste of the cold, damp, muddy conditions the Cardiff-based event could well throw at him. A whole new concept in comparison with the glittering world of Grand Prix motorcycling that saw him collect his fourth world title earlier this year!
Three days after concluding the 2002 MotoGP season in sunny Valencia, Spain, last weekend, the freshly-crowned World Champion underwent a contrasting change of scenery this week as he continued to familiarise himself with the Michelin-206 WRC he will drive on the final round of rallying's premier series in Great Britain (Nov 14th-17th).
The test stages, located near the village of Osiglia, Italy (Savona), offered a generous mix of the difficulties he will face in the South Welsh hills, including fast, flowing forest roads, twistier, slower portions, and a slippery top film of mud on a harder, rocky base. After a bright first day, temperatures were as low as 3°C the following morning, while overnight snow and mist clung obstinately to the surrounding hilltops… Conditions, in short, as close to the real thing as he is likely to get without leaving his native Italy!
"My knowledge of the Rally of Great Britain is limited to what I have seen on television and in magazines," commented Rossi after the test. "I know it's a tough rally, generally with lots of fog and mud, so while today's conditions have been a good training ground, I am certain the event itself is likely to be more difficult still."
The prodigal biker's objectives for the two-day session were primarily to improve his feeling with the Grifone-run 206 WRC, to get in as many kilometres as possible and to accustom himself further to working with the pacenotes read out by his experienced co-driver, Carlo Cassina.
"With each run, I felt more and more confident with the car. I am starting to understand how it behaves in many types of situation and also how much grip and traction the different Michelin tyre options provide," he continues. "Learning about pacenotes is still probably the most complicated thing however. Happily, we are using a very simple system and I am slowly but surely getting used to listening to Carlo's instructions and applying them." Competing in the dark is also something relatively new that Rossi will have to come to terms with in Wales… "I've raced once at night, in a bike endurance event, and I didn't particularly enjoy that, so it's been important to get some experience with the 206 before Rally GB, but I'm not a big fan of driving at night."
The session ended on Thursday afternoon in heavy rain that made the test stage treacherously slippery but which gave Valentino yet another valuable glimpse of the task that lays ahead next week..
. Ready for the real thing now, Valentino? "Speriamo… I hope so!"

Latest details on Killarney Historics Stages

Killarney and District Motorclub are delighted to announce details of the 2002 Killarney Historic Stages Rally. After a year's break, Ireland's only rally entirely run for historic rally cars will return on its usual date of Sunday the 1st December.
"There has been a lot of enquiries to the club over the past few months regarding the rally," said new Clerk of the Course Tim Clifford. "We are now delighted to have everything in place and be able to announce that regulations will be available at the end of October."
Historic (pre '69) and Post Historic ('pre 74) cars will again be given priority for entries. These will be seeded together at the head of the field, with the overall winner being the fastest historic car. The remaining places will be filled by classic (Pre'79 cars). Low speed reece of the stages will be allowed on the Saturday of the event.
Headquarters for the 2002 rally will be the Dromhall Hotel, Muckross Rd, Killarney. Website: www.dromhall.com. The hotel offers the comfort and service one associates with a first class hotel, while retaining the friendliness and welcome of a family run hotel.
The 2002 Killarney Historic Rally will again be run over some of the best tarmac stages to be found anywhere, with over 100 classic stage miles to be rallied. Deputy Clerk of the course John Flynn adds: "We are extremely lucky in the Killarney area that we have such a large number of classic stages to pick from, and I have no doubt that competitors will be delighted with the route chosen for the 2002 event."
Since the event's inception in 1996, the rally has attracted crews and cars from Ireland & the UK, mainland Europe, Africa and America. Derry based Dessie Nutt driving a Porsche 911 is the man everyone will have to beat on the rally having taken 4 of the 5 rallies run to date, although Drexel Gillespie and his Ford Cortina came very close to breaking the Porsche domination in 2000!

Regulations for the 2002 Killarney Historic Stages Rally will be posted out at the end of October for the December 1st rally. Requests for regulations and any other information can be made to the Clerk of the Course & Event Secretary:
Tim & Rachel Clifford
E-mail: killarneyhistoric@oceanfree.net
Tel 064 44025 (Int +353 64 44025) 6pm – 9pm ONLY

Murphy takes 2003 Focus Championship

GALWAY, 9TH NOVEMBER 2002:Colm Murphy from Athea, Co. Limerick has won the inaugural Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship having secured a hard fought second position on the final round of the series at the West 2002 International Rally.
The atmosphere at the start of the event was electric as mathematically any of the top five crews still had a chance of winning the title if the others failed to finish. However Colm Murphy in the Shine Group Ford Focus was favourite to take the title entering into the final round, after two consecutive victories, he only had to finish second to win the Championship.
The West 2002 International Rally greeted the crews with atrocious weather conditions, torrential rain and extremely treacherous slippery stages with a lot of stonewalls. Oliver Stanley (Durrow) knew he had to win in order to deprive Murphy and proceeded to attack on stage one, however three miles in it went all wrong as Oliver got caught out under braking and slid up a bank, beaching his Ford Focus. Luckily there were enough spectators to push the car back onto the road, but the resulting time loss dropped him to fourth and handed Murphy the lead.
Colm set the early pace and was able to find the correct balance between outright speed and respect for the slippery conditions. Brendan Kelly (Longford) despite recent setbacks started well setting joint fastest stage time on the opening stage. Stanley started to fight back brilliantly setting fastest Focus stage time on stage four and joint fastest time on stage five. Colm responded setting fastest Focus time on stage six to increase his lead over Stanley to fifty two seconds. Oliver fought back but could not reduce Murphy's lead and by stage eight Murphy had increased his lead to one minute two seconds.
The final four stages of the West 2002 International Rally were to be held in darkness and this was really going to be the sting in the tail for all the crews. Disaster struck for Murphy as half way thought he stage the gear linkage worked its self loose costing Colm over two minutes and dropping him to second position. Colm managed to fix the problem on the road section and proceeded to set fastest Focus time on stage ten. However stages eleven and twelve were cancelled depriving the competitors of the last final battle of the year.
Hamilton Bell (Hillsborough) survived a tough day with a throttle sensor problem to finish third on the rally and secured third position overall in the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Championship.
"We were unlucky not to win the final round of the Championship in Galway, we were in seventeenth position overall and had a great lead built up. Our strategy had worked brilliantly and I had over a minutes lead on Oliver. However the gear linkage problem cost a lot of time and we were lucky to be able to fix it and finish the rally. It is a dream come though but it has been an extremely tough Championship we have experienced the highs of victory and the lows of not finishing, of having victory in our sights and then to have it snatched from under our noses. However I have enjoyed ever second, the Ford Focus is absolutely fabulous the car having not missed a beat all year. I would like to thank Ford Ireland, Protec Promotions Ltd and Pirelli tyres for a brilliant season" said Colm.
"The final outcome of the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship could not have been closer as only three points separated Colm and Oliver after five gruelling rounds. Both Colm and Oliver have secured two victories each but Colm has two second place finishes whereas Oliver only had one. It was a thrilling battle all year but unfortunately there can only be one winner" said Declan Foley, Ford Focus Brand Manager.
"The 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally has been one of the most exciting Motorsport Championships in Ireland this year. There has been a great battle all year between Colm and Oliver, with Brendan Kelly and Cathal O'Reilly also mixing it at the top of the leader board. The Ford Focus has proven to be an exceptional rally car; the Ford Focus Championship Car has won Class seven outright on the last three rallies of the championship. In fact Colm ran as high as seventeenth overall at the West 2002 International Rally and lead the national section of the Ulster Rally." said Tom Collins, Championship Director.

Dessie takes Double

After an eventful day at the Galway West International Rally, the final round of the Toshiba Championship, it was celebrations all round as Dessie Keenan with navigator Enda Sherry brought the 106 home to take first place in his class in the Toshiba Irish National Championship and for Dessie to win the 'Peugeot 106 Bonus Scheme' sponsored by Peugeot Sport UK. Dessie was also named as one of the finalist for the 2002 Billy Coleman Award earlier in the week.
Saturday saw one of the most demanding days for the Keenan crew so far this season. Off to a good start Dessie was leading the class by 18 seconds after two stages. Problems started to arise on stage 4 when on a slippy stage section the 106 left the road and slid through a hole in a stone wall which caused a lot of damage such as a bent wishbone, track rod-end and a punctured tire.
The car was repaired at service and things were back on track until the gear selector broke on stage 6 and left Dessie with only 1st and 2nd gears for the remainder of the rally. Needless to say, Dessie lost a lot of time but still managed to finish. This ensured Dessie enough points to claim first in Class A6 in the Toshiba National Championship and to win the Peugeot 106 Bonus Scheme. It has been an exciting and nail biting championship right down to the very last stage!
Next on the agenda for the Keenan Rally Team is the Kerry Single Stage this forthcoming weekend with Dessie driving the 2.4lt Mark II Escort and his sister Laura being handed the keys of the 106 for the day!
Dessie would like to take this opportunity to thank his fantastic service crew and kind sponsors: The Squealing Pig, Enda Keenan Stainless Steel, Cross Refrigeration, Maguire Transport , A2B Minibus Hire & C.C. Body-kits, Monaghan for all their help and support throughout the year!

Rally of Great Britain Preview

The 2002 World Rally Championship concludes next weekend with the final event of the season, the Network Q Rally of Great Britain. With less than a week having passed since teams made the gruelling 14,500km journey back from Rally Australia, there will be little time for them to relax before the GB Rally kicks off on Thursday 14 November with the first Cardiff Super Special.
Famed for its tough forest stages and changeable weather conditions, the Rally of Great Britain is fast, slippery, unpredictable and renowned as one of the world's greatest motorsport challenges. Widely believed to be Britain's largest sporting occasion, thousands of UK rally fans are expected to attend the event and brave the British fog and rain to see their favourite rally driver charging through the Welsh forests at stomach-churning speeds.
This year's event comprises 17 stages held over 390 competitive kilometres. Leg one will see crews travel 55 kilometres north-west of the central service park at Felindre to contest five stages before returning to Cardiff for the second Super Special. Leg two will then be held in the Brecon Beacons, north of Felindre, before concluding with a third and final Super Special in Cardiff. All four of Sunday's stages will take place east of Felindre.
With the manufacturer's title mathematically wrapped up by Peugeot and the driver's title already won by Marcus Gronholm, all eyes will be on the battle for second place in the driver's championship. With six drivers remaining in the frame, including 555 Subaru World Rally driver Petter Solberg, it looks set to be a fight to the wire.
Irish eyes will be firmly fixed on Dubliner Austin McHale in his Toyota Corolla WRC and Eamonn Boland in his Subaru WRC.
We wish them both the best of luck.

Gallagher clinches 5 top awards

Letterkenny's Shaun Gallagher came away from the 2002 Peugeot Sport Gala Ball with no less than five awards to his name. Firstly Shaun was awarded the Hella Overseas Trophy that he received for his dominant and outstanding victory on Le Rallye Touquet in France.
He also clinched the Best Junior Award, for drivers under the age of twenty-five, and the Junior Dealer Cup representing McGinley Motors, Letterkenny.
Peugeot Sport also decided that Shaun should be presented with the Mark Fisher Memorial Trophy in memory of the late driver who was a previous winner of the Peugeot Super 106 Cup.
The final award of the night was for second place overall in the championship. Yet again the Peugeot Cup battle went right to the last round with Shaun loosing out by just five points to fellow Irishman, Gary Jennings.
These awards top off an outstanding year for the 22 year old. It is a year in which Shaun improved his driving ability immensely and moved himself into the forefront of both national and international rallying.

Kerry Single Stage Rally

YOKOHAMA TYRES – KINGDOM FAST FIT SINGLE STAGE RALLY NOV. 17TH 2002
Kerry Motor Club has attracted a top class entry for this Sundays Yokohama Tyres –Kingdom Fast Fit single stage rally .The event is the final rounds of both the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship and the Ford of Ireland Ka Championship.
First on the road is Kilarney man Johnny O Sullivan (Ford Escort WRC) who is looking for his fourth outright win on this event. O Sullivan's appearance on the event will not be without drama as the local hero is facing a battle against time to have his new engine built in time for Sunday's showdown. He will face stiff opposition from a host of top two wheel drive competitors in what must be one of the finest entries on this event for some time. Shanagoldens Ed Synan starts at two in his ex Fisher Opel Manta. He will be followed off the ramp by that other Manta driver Clare man Anthony O Halloran. Thomas Randles, who recently finished top two wheel drive man in the National championship is sure to challenge for overall honours. A surprise entry in the shape of Killarney man Donie O Sullivan who will compete in a Ford Escort MK2 after spending most of the last twelve months in a Group N Subaru. Paul Nagle from Killarney who recently won the codrivers title in the Peugeot 206-cup calls the notes for O Sullivan. Dessie Keenan (Monaghan) and David James (Wexford) are two more Escort Mk2 men who will give all the top men a run for their money. The rally is the final round of the Top Part West Coast Championship. A nail biting finish is assured to this year's competion as any one of three drivers can take the overall award. These come in the shape of Galway men Stephen Bird (Escort MK2) and Sean Lyons (Escort MK5 rwd) and Corks Allan Tracy in a Toyota Corolla. It is a case of winner takes all, so the first man home out of these three will be crowned West Coast Champions 2002.
There is a host of Kerry Drivers taking part in this years event with the likes of John Kearney, Brendan Brosnan (both Escorts MK2), John Hickey and Peter Clifford (both Subaru's) and Pat Barry (Sierra Cosworth) all seeded in the top twenty. Other notable Kerry entries include Donal O Flaherty and Kingdom Fat Fit Proprietor Martin Quirke who will be battling it out for 1600 cc class honours The Ford Of Ireland Ka championship is also to be settled this weekend in Kerry with Davy Lyons, Gerry Keyes, both Limerick and Sligos Kenneth Mullvaney all in contention for this event.
An interesting addition to this year's event is former National Championship front runner Frank O Mahoney who will be doing course car duties in a Metro 6r4.
The rally gets under way at 11.30 Sunday morning when the 130-car field will leave Headquarters The Banna Beach Hotel for the stage near Castleisland. The first car is due on the practice stage at 12.05 and this will be followed by three runs over the stage. As an added challenger the final run will take place in darkness at 17.15.Spectators are welcome to attend the event but are reminded that motorsport is dangerous and asked to obey the stewards at all times. These people are voluntary motor sport enthusiasts who are fully trained in crowd safety procedures. If people are standing in what is considered an unsafe place the steward will have no choice only to cancel the stage .
Full spectator information is available in the official programme which will be on sale from Friday night in the following locations; Moriartys Londis Top Shop Farranfore, Macs Stat oil Castleisland, Atlantic Oils Ardfert and Spar Oakpark Tralee. They will also be available at the NCT center (scrutiny venue Tralee on Saturday evening. Kerry Motor Club will donate a percentage of the sales of the programme to The Crumlin Childrens Hospital.
Provisional TOP TEN

0 FRANK O MAHONY / HUGH MC PHILLIPS METRO 6R4
1 JOHNNY O SULLIVAN / PATCASHAMN FORD ESCOERT WRC
2 ED SYNAN DAVE DOHERTY OPEL MANTA 400
3 ANTHONY O HALLORAN / SHANE BENN OPEL MANTA
4 THOMAS RANDLES / DIARMUID LYNCH FORD ESSCORT
5 DONIE O SULLIVAN PAUL NAGLE FORD ESCORT
6 DESSIE KEENAN ENDA SHERRY FORD ESCORT
7 DAVID JAMES JIM CROWE FORD ESCORT
8 STEPHEN BIRD / DOMNICK DOWNET FORD ESCORT
9 SEAN LYONS /FRANK MCNAMARRA FORD ESCORT
10 ALLAN TRACY / BOB FITZGEARLD TOYOTA COROLLA

Billy Coleman Award shortlisted

THREE SHORTLISTED FOR BILLY COLEMAN AWARD Young Rally Driver of the Year to be Announced on 2nd December.
Three of Ireland's brightest young rally driving hopes have been shortlisted for this year's Billy Coleman Award which goes to the "Young Rally Driver of the Year" along with a support package worth E32,000.
The winner will be announced at the Alfa Romeo sponsored Awards for Excellence in Irish Motorsport lunch scheduled for 2nd December.

The three drivers shortlisted for the award are;-
· John Carroll, Danesfort, Co Kilkenny
· Shaun Gallagher, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
· Dessie Keenan, Tydavnet, Co Monaghan
The three were selected from a group of 15 finalists for this year's award.

The other finalists all of whom were highly commended were;-

Andrew Browne, Oldcastle, Co Meath
· William Cavanagh, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary
· Kevin Dalton, Cahir, Co Tipperary
· John Hegarty, Ramelton, Co Donegal
· Gus Kearney, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
· Jason Kelly, Brittas, Co Dublin
· John Kelly, Emyvale, Co Monaghan
· Aaron McHale, Rathcoole, Co Dublin
· Ray Martin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
· Kenneth Mulvaney, Coolaney, Co Sligo
· Ken O'Neill, Milltown, Co Kerry
· Rodney Wilton, Crosserlough, Co Cavan

GSMC Restricted Single Stage Rally

The Germaines Hotel Restricted Single Stage Rally, organised by the Garda Siochana Motor Club, will take place in south Co. Wicklow on Sunday, December 8th.
As with all Retricted Single Stage events in the Republic of Ireland, entry will be confined to drivers who have not finished in the top ten of any multi-stage rally in the current or previous calendar year. No four wheel drive cars, or other cars of over 2050cc, will be permitted
. Regulations are now available to download from www.rallyteamireland.com in the form of four seperate Word Documents. Alternatively, to receive a copy by ordinary post, contact Pat Lordan, Tel. 087 996 9988 (7pm to 9pm only), e-mail singlestagerally@eircom.net .
Germaines Hotel, the Headquarters and sponsor of the event, is located at Main Street, Baltinglass (Tel. 0508 81783).

Keenan qualifies for Billy Coleman award

Dessie Keenan, one of Irelands most exciting and dynamic young drivers from Monaghan, will contest the much sought after Billy Coleman Award this year, which is geared towards young Irish drivers. A popular driver amongst rally enthusiasts, he has shown that he can get first class results in either a rear-wheel-drive or his recently acquired front-wheel-drive ex-Super Cup Peugeot 106, on both gravel and tarmac surface events. It is this flexibility and ability that allows him to switch between a powerful 2.4Lt rear-wheel-drive MarkII Escort and a front-wheel-drive 1600cc Peugeot 106 and still take class wins and excellent overall positions that makes Dessie such an inspirational driver.
2002 saw Dessie part take, for the first time, in the Toshiba National Tarmac Championship, and what a year it's been so far! Out of three of the five rounds already run this year he has had some fantastic results. He took class wins in both the Killarney International Rally of the Lakes and the Isle of Man Manx International Rally. He finished a creditable 3rd in his class on the Stena-Line Ulster Rally and 18th overall, setting some of the fastest stage times amongst his fellow class competitors who mostly consisted of Peugeot Super 206 competitors. This year also saw Dessie receive the 'Joe Mc Gurk' Perpetual Trophy at the Castle Hellfire Rally in September. The trophy was a special memorial prize for the winner of Class 14. Dessie while winning this competitive class also managed to finish a credible 7th overall in the Mark II Ford Escort.
Despite taking his sport incredibly seriously, he also receives enormous enjoyment out of it. Dessie was among the many competitors who supported the IRCA organised "Marshals Payback Day' on August 18th, which enabled marshals to be chauffeured around the track by competitors in their rally cars. It was an enjoyable day for Dessie who like many other rally competitors, relishes the chance to give something back to those indispensable organisers and marshals who make rallying possible.
Dessie realises that being a candidate for the Billy Coleman Award in itself is an achievement. To win accreditation of the Billy Coleman Award would be a sensational boost for Dessie and would help him enhance his driving skills and seek development as a more professional driver ready to compete at the highest level of the sport.

Trevor Moore takes Toshiba

Trevor Moore in his Escort WRC fullfilled his dreams when he won Saturadys Toshiba Rally run by the Mid Antrim club.One of the events favourites Robbie McGirk suffered retirement when a wheel sheared off with Derek McGArrity having to contend with various brake problems to finish runner up.
Derek had already secured the NI Championship crown .

Top Ten (Provisional):
1st (5) Trevor Moore/Richard Curry (Esc.Cos) 36.57
2nd (1) Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Subaru) 37.06
3rd (4) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Celica) 37.19
4th (11) Stevie Whitford/Mark Crowe (Lancer) 37.47
5th (10) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Subaru WRc) 38.26
6th (12) Denis Biggerstaff/Damien McCann (Metro 6R4) 38.51
7th (14) Raymond Mason/Peter Martin (Impreza N) 39.34
8th (15) Brendan O'Hagan/Paul Hone (Esc.Cos) 40.27
9th (33) James Murphy/Con Mulcahy (Esc.Cos) 40.30
10th (19) Barry Groundwater/Jude Wylie (Lancer N) 40.52

Focus Championship Finale

The fifth and final round of Irelands premier one make rally championship - the Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship, will take place on the 9th of November at the West 2002 International Rally.
This highly competitive series sees no fewer than the top five crews in with with a chance to claim the inaugural title, on the final round of this action packed series. The format of the West 2002 International Rally should provide a real "sting in the tail" for all competing crews. The event has broken with tradition and will be held over only one day with the crews tackling in excess of 100 stage miles over 12 special stages, with the last four stages taking place in total darkness. It is guaranteed to provide and action packed finale to the season.
"All the rounds of the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship were chosen with great care to test the ability of all competitors to the limit, I think that the West 2002 International will be icing on the cake," said Tom Collins, Championship Director.
"The inaugural Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship has been a huge success, we have witnessed great battles all year between all the various crews and we look forward to another exciting event in Galway" said Declan Foley, Ford Focus Brand Manager.
The final round of the 2002 Ford Ireland Focus Rally Championship gets under way at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday the 9th of November, with the crews tackling eight special stages in daylight around Glenamaddy region before tackling the final four stages in darkness before returning to the finish at approximately 9.30 p.m. in Clarinbridge.

POS. NAME POINTS
1 Colm Murphy 86
2 Oliver Stanley 79
3 Hamilton Bell 76
4 John Foley 68
5 Ken Lyons 59
6 Cathal O'Reilly 56
7 Brendan Kelly 38
8 Gabriel Martin 38

New Cup cars – Going Fast

Peugeot Sport confirm that with the recent announcement in left hand drive 206 Super Cup cars being available, a rush to place orders has started.
"Just the next day we started receiving more calls", Peugeot Sport rally co-ordinator Stella Boyles affirmed, "and already three of the ten have gone. We are delighted to have the Cup show so much interest again."
"The calendar and the prize drives for next year's 206 Super Cup are now in place, and we look forward to making this announcement at the Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony in Daventry on November 9th. Regulations will be available there too."
The 206 Winter Cup has also drawn a lot of interest, and the regulations are combined with the 2003 206 Super Cup, under the Peugeot Challenge banner. With the exception of the introduction of left hand drive, there are no technical changes to 2003 from the 2002 regulations, as Peugeot Sport want to emphasise the low costs to the competitor in this championship.
It is now confirmed that the price of the new cars will be £19,500, (including V.A.T.), for the competitive base car and comprehensive kit.
Regulations for the 206 Winter Cup and the 2003 Super Cup will be available on the 9th November. Contact Stella Boyles on 02476 884674, to reserve your copy and enquire about reserving your car.

Formula Fun Friday with Paul Sammin Racing

To celebrate his participation in the 2002 Formula Ireland Championship, Paul Sammin is arranging a Formula Fun Event to say Thank You to his sponsors, friends and the media for their support during the season. 'Formula Fun Friday with Paul Sammin Racing' happens on November 22nd throughout the day and evening at North West Karting, Castlebar, from 3 p.m.
The exciting programme of events begins with the appearance of the Jordan Honda Formula One car followed by the opportunity to 'Race against Paul Sammin' from 4 – 6 p.m. Each competitor can try to beat Paul's time around the Karting Track for a mere €5, with proceeds going to BEN in Ireland, the Motor Industry Benevolent Fund.
Then at 7 p.m., the Grand Prix de Louisburgh takes place, open to everyone who can race a kart with beautiful Mayo Crystal up for grabs. Refreshments will be provided throughout the day.
The evening will then come to a close at 'Hogs Heaven' where the presentations will be made. And a great nights craic is guaranteed.
Paul, from Louisburgh, with five podium placings, finished an excellent fourth in Ireland's premier single-seater category extends an open invitation to all his supporters to come along and participate in the days fun and excitement. "It's my way of saying a long thank you to everyone that helped me in my first year in Formula Ireland."
Remember the date – Friday November 22nd – from 3 – 10 p.m. Venue: North West Karting, Castlebar, County Mayo.
Special attractions:
Jordan – Honda Formula 1 Race Car (With thanks To P.J. Fallon)
Race against Paul Sammin Racing
Grand Prix de Louisburgh
Special give-aways and prizes.
Refreshments served all day.

West International Rally

Twelve hours of solid competition, 110 miles of stages and a full entry list promise to make Saturdays West 2002 a memorable final round of the 2002 Toshiba Tarmac Rally Championship. And with newly-crowned Champion Andrew Nesbitt absent, along with other series regulars Eamonn Boland and Derek McGarrity, the scene is set for a real tussle at the top in Galway MC's unique 'one day' event.
Topping the entry list is Austin McHale, his Toyota Ireland Corolla WRC now showing the kind of form Austin had been hoping for since the beginning of the season. He and co-driver Brian Murphy will be hoping to maintain the momentum they built up on the Cork 20 and, hopefully, keep it going on Rally GB a week later, but that's all in the future. On Saturday they will have their hands full.
Kenny McKinstry makes a return to tarmac as No 2 seed with an Impreza WRC, while Peadar Hurson, having scored a strong finish in Cork, will be trying hard to improve further with a victory in the No 3 Celica. All three are potential winners in the West. So, too, is Michael Barrable, who has been a strong presence on the National scene, but would love to add a 'Tarmac' victory to his record before the end of the year. And the list goes on.
Starting at No 5 is Eugene Donnelly, a veteran of no fewer than 26 events this year in a variety of cars. This weekend he joins the ranks of WRC pilots with an outing in Stan Harpers Impreza, and the big man from Maghera could beat the lot of them if things fall his way. Maurice Gass has already impressed on several occasions this year with his Impreza WRC, as has Tim McNulty with his similar car. And then there's the Group N battle. Following the surprise exclusions after the Cork 20, the top contenders in the Showroom category go into the final round with everything to play for.
Trevor Cathers still leads, but only just, from Roy White, while the Mitsubishi pair, who start at 8 and 9, will also be keeping an eye on Seamus Leonard's GpN Impreza which completes the top 10. The fight will be intense between these three. Expect them to finish and further back in the list there is plenty to keep spectators on their toes, not least the top two wheel drive car, John Spain's Opel Manta 400 which starts at No 12.
Based in Clarinbridge, West 2002 will provide several unique challenges to crews, not least of which is the prospect of tackling the final four stages - one third of the total - in the dark! Although, for various reasons, Galway's round of the Tarmac series has been absent for the past couple of years, it has traditionally been a tough event, often run in harsh weather and frequently producing a surprise winner.
West 2002 looks set to uphold that tradition.

Provisional Top Entry:

1 Austin McHale/Brian Murphy Toyota Corolla WRC (A8)
2 Kenny McKinstry/Sean Mullally Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
3 Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter Toyota Celica GT-Four (A8)
4 Michael Barrable/Dermot O'Gorman Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
5 Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
6 Maurice Gass/Geoffrey Orr Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
7 Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
8 Trevor Cathers/Dessie Wilson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 (N4)
9 Roy White/Greg Shinners Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 (N4)
10 Seamus Leonard/Kevin O'Brien Subaru Impreza Sti (N4)
11 Hugh Dunne/Sean Moriarty Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
12 John Spain/Peter Egan Opel Manta 400 (M14)
14 Paddy White/Frank Sweeney Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
15 Anthony O'Halloran/Kevin Synott Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N4)
16 Stuart Darcy/T.B.A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N4)
17 Stephen Harris/T.B.A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N4)
18 Dominic Loughran/Lisa Roe Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 (N4)
19 Sean McArdle/Gerard McMonagle Toyota Celica GT-Four (A8)
20 Tom Holton/Andrew Cullen Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD (A8)