MOTOR SPORT: Estonian Markko Martin, British champion Mark Higgins and Ulster flyers Eugene Donnelly and Andrew Nesbitt are the star drivers in a galaxy of talent contesting the weekend's Murphy Construction-sponsored Cork 20 International Rally.
The names at the sharp end of the 151-strong field also include Guy Wilkes, Derek McGarrity, Austin MacHale, Eamonn Boland, Gareth Jones, Andreas Mikkelsen, Stephen Murphy, Ray Breen, Denis Cronin, Gary Jennings, Liam McCarthy, Melvyn Evans, Aaron MacHale and Steve Perez, which all adds up to the awesome prospect of tarmac rallying at a frenetic pace.
Martin has driven for Subaru, Ford and Peugeot in the WRC, and his major wins include the Acropolis in Greece and Rally Finland.
Eugene Donnelly has won the Pirelli Tarmac Championship for the third year in a row, but true to form, he will push his Toyota Corolla WRC to the limit on the stages to finish the year in style.
It will also be his last season driving the now ageing Corolla as he is most likely to switch to a Subaru or possibly a Ford Focus WRC next year. After his sensational Donegal win, Andrew Nesbitt in a Mitsubishi Evo will no doubt be equally anxious to add another win to his impressive CV.
Tomorrow's stages are to the west of Cork city, with service in Macroom. On Sunday, the rally heads to north Cork with service in Mallow.
Clear leader Christopher Evans can clinch the MSA British Rallycross Championship in the penultimate event of the eight-round series at Mondello Park on Sunday. So far this season, Evans has powered his Opel Astra to four wins and has finished second twice.
He only needs to finish in the top eight to win the championship, but an accident or car trouble could see the title race go down to the last round at Croft on October 22nd.
Dermot Carnegie is the only driver who could beat Evans in the race for the title.
However, for Carnegie to add to his record of six British championships he must win the two remaining rounds with Evans outside the top eight.
Pat Doran and 17-year-old Andrew Jordan have each won a championship round and will be worth watching at Mondello, as also will be John McCluskey, Steve Hill, Kevin Proctor and London-based Irish driver Ollie O'Donovan.
Sunday's event is also round six of the eight-round Irish championship in which Carnegie holds a 24-points lead over Michael Coyne. McCluskey is third and Evans fourth after missing two rounds.
Michael Devaney and John O'Hara are signed by A1 Team Ireland for the second running of the A1 Grand Prix "World Cup of Motorsport" which gets under way at Zandvoort in the Netherlands on Sunday.
The number one drive for Devaney is the opportunity he deserves after a difficult first A1 season as standby to Ralph Firman.
O'Hara is the team's rookie driver and he will combine this with running a team in the Asian Formula Three Championship from a Manila base in the Philippines.
On Sunday, there will be a nostalgic gathering in Dunboyne of competitors, supporters and racing cars and motorcycles from the halcyon 1958-1967 era of the Leinster Motor Club's road races in Co Meath.
