McRae returns to Irish rallying

Motor Sport: Jimmy McRae, record five times Circuit of Ireland winner, returns to Irish rallying at the wheel of a Porsche 911 in Sunday's Killarney Historic Stages Rally.

McRae has unfinished business in the Kingdom on Sunday, to make amends for the cruel luck that sidelined him only one and a half miles from the finish of this event last year when the accelerator cable of his Porsche broke. McRae is seeded number two behind top seed Dessie Nutt also in a Porsche 911. Nutt won the Killarney event five times between 1997 and 2002, but a clutch problem last year prevented him from taking a sixth win.

Last year's winner Steve Perez has been forced to withdraw due to business commitments. Biggest challenge to the top Porsche pair will no doubt come from Mini-Cooper S drivers Mervyn Johnston and outgoing Historic Tarmac champion Frank Cunningham. Jimmy Devane and Eddie Cronin in a Mini are the leading local seeds in the Historic section.

John Farrell in a Ford Escort Mark 1 heads the competition in the Post-Historic section. The Navan driver twice won the category and last year was deprived of a hat-trick due to an engine misfire over the closing stages. Also in this section are Joe Connolly (Goresbridge) and England's Steve Smith in Escorts, and local driver Todd Falvey in a Porsche 911. John Moynihan (Millstreet) in an Escort RS is chasing a fourth victory in the Classic section for cars built between 1975 and 1979. He will be pushed on the stages by Martin Freestone in another Escort RS and Kieran O'Neill in an Opel Kadett GT/E, both previous category winners.

From Sunday's start at Killarney the rally will cover the classic stages of Molls Gap and twice over Killmackillogue, Ardgroom, Cod's Head, and Healy Pass, with service at Kenmare and Castletownbere.

Ireland could have another international motorsport champion on Sunday in John O'Hara, who competes in the final round of the Asian Formula Three Championship at Batangas in the Philippines. The Kildare driver has posted fastest times during mid-week testing but must win to beat Australian Christian Jones, son of 1980 Formula One World Champion Alan, for the title.

WEEKEND FIXTURES: Saturday - MEC, Sporting Trial, Russelstown, nr.Blessington, Co Wicklow, 11.30 a.m. Sunday - Killarney and District MC, Historic Stages rally, starts Killarney Racecourse, Co Kerry, 8 a.m; Carlow CC, Rallysprint, Mondello Park, 10 a.m.