O'Connor setting the pace from Cullen at Kirkistown

ED O'CONNOR heads the entry for round four of the Dunlop Touring Car Championship at Kirkistown tomorrow.

O'Connor has a Kirkistown and a Mondello win to his credit at the wheel of a Renault Clio Williams, and Dave Kerrigan won the last Mondello round driving a Honda Civic. Reigning champion Michael Cullen and fellow Opel Astra driver Gordon Kellett have so far failed to win a race this season - a turn up for the books indeed.

O'Connor leads the series on 53 points from Cullen on 47, and surprisingly Ciaran Grenan is third on 45 points in a Peugeot 309. Mark Turley, who set a new class lap record at Kirkistown five weeks ago in his Honda Civic, is fourth on the 40 mark. Highest placed Ulsterman is former GT racer George Crozier (Astra) on 31, ahead of John Keaney (Peugeot 306) and Dave Kerrigan (Civic) on 29 each. Northern drivers Roy McKane and twice Formula Opel champion Mike Edgar will no doubt be very competitive on their home track in a pair of Opel Astras.

Round three of the DHL Formula Opel Championship is also listed, led by Vivion Daly who won the season opener at Kirkistown, round two winner Donal Loughrey, Ken Grandon and Adrian Pollock. Formula Ford 1600, Metros, Roadsports and Formula Libre complete tomorrow's programme.

Belfast dentist John Gilleece has scored 58 points out of a possible 60 to lead the RIAC/Coras National Rally Championship after three rounds, earning victories at Ballina and on the Circuit of Kerry and finishing second in Monaghan. Charlie Dionnelly, the Monaghan winner driving an Opel Manta, is second on 38 points (out of a possible 40).

Gilleece in his Ford Escort RS Cosworth must now face a new challenge from Cork's Frank O'Mahony who aims to get down to serious business with his McKinstry Subaru Legacy, starting with Sunday's Carlow Car Club's Springhill Hotel Rally. Round four is being run out of Kilkenny with 3x3 stages in the Borris area of south Carlow - Ballybeg (10.7 miles), Dunroe (11.2) and Corries (11.7). Service will be at Red Mills, Goresbridge, after stages three and six.

The regulation maximum of 130 entries includes quite a number of really quick stage drivers - Norman Armstrong, Michael Barrable, John McCluskey, John McKeown, Peter McCullough, Hal Lewis, Charlie Mavitty, Ken Lyons, Derek Smith, PJ Woods, PJ McGrath, Des Bruton, George Cullen, forestry experts Pat Norris and Dermot Kelly, and rallycross driver Tommy Graham.

Peter Faulkner (Dublin) driving a Metro 6R4, won the RIAC/Manor Inn National Rallycross Championship, the winter series at Mondello Park. Tommy Graham (Prosperous) was second in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. Faulkner and Graham both scored 134 points, with the title going to Faulkner on the tiebreak as he won one round outright. Lloyd Spendlove was third overall in his Peugeot.

Short circuit motorcycle racing takes place at Mondello Park on Sunday, when there will be capacity grids for all the usual classes.