Rautenbach heads up impressive field

MOTOR SPORT/GALWAY RALLY:   ZIMBABWEAN DRIVER Conrad Rautenbach, in a Citroen Xsara WRC, heads up an impressive entry of world rally cars in the Safety Direct Galway International Rally on January 17th-18th. Aaron Burkart is seeded number two in a Suzuki Swift S1600.

Eamonn Boland begins the defence of his Global Tarmac Rally Championship title at number three in a Subaru WRC, followed in order of the seedings by Gareth MacHale, in a Ford Focus WRC, Kevin Lynch, in a Subaru WRC, four-times tarmac champion Eugene Donnelly, in a Skoda Fabia WRC, Tim McNulty, Derek McGarrity and Peadar Hurson in a trio of Subaru WRCs.

Aaron MacHale and his father, Austin, six times Galway winner and record five times tarmac champion, drive Focus WRCs. The Group N entry includes Mitsubishi Evo drivers Kevin Kelleher, Damien Tourish and James Foley.

The formation of a second Citroen M2 Team is great news for Rally Ireland following the withdrawal of Subaru. Former Subaru driver Chris Atkinson drives a Citroen C4 WRC in Rally Ireland and is looking forward to competing against record five-times world champion Sebastien Loeb in what should be virtually identical cars.

The other nominated Citroen M2 drivers are junior world champion Sebastien Ogier (France), Galway top seed Rautenbach, and Estonia's Evegency Novikov.

FIXTURE: Saturday - MEC, Sporting Trial, Greenan, Co Wicklow, 11.30am.