HAVING bought a Subaru Impreza 4WD, Helmut Holfeld is aiming to improve on his current third position in the National, Winter Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park. Holfeld is just six points down on the series leader Lawrence Gibson and faces hot competition in tomorrow's event.
The impressive entry includes Gibson, Norman Kittle, John Moloney and Peter Faulkner in a quartet of Metro 6R4s, Dermot Carnegies and Tommy Graham in Ford Escort RS Cosworths, Robin Perry and David Francis in Escort Turbos, Mike Manning (2.4 Fiesta), Seamus Murphy (Escort G3), Lloyd Spendlove (Peugeot 205) and John Haffey (Nova). The heats start at 11.15 a.m. with the finals from 3.15 p.m.
Tomorrow's Manders Cup Trial at Ballyreagh Wood above Enniskerry is the second round of the MCUI Irish Trials Championship.
Reigning champion Andrew Perry won Grade A (experts) from fellow Ulster rider Richard McKee in the recent opening round. Other grade winners were: Ciaran Rice (B); Johnny McKimm (C) and Benny Crawford (D). Best Southern rider was Stuart Martin of Ashford, Co Wicklow, second to Rice in Grade B.
This year marks the 90th Anniversary of the famous Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle road races. Irish riders have a remarkable record of TT successes, scoring 76 wins since Alec Bennett's victory in 1922. Stanley Woods won 10 TTs between 1923 and 1939, a record that was finally broken by Mike Hailwood in 1967. Joey Dunlop holds the all-time record of 21 wins, adding two more to his tally last June. The Ulsterman celebrates his 45th birthday this February, and it's on the cards that he could add another one or two wins to his Isle of Man record in June.
Last year, Philip McCallen won four races, a record for TT week beating the previous best of three wins in a week held by Hailwood and Dunlop. McCallen has now won six TTs and on current form is poised to equal the Stanley Woods' score of 10 with another four in June. Manliffe Barrington, Artie Bell, Tom Herron, Reg Armstrong and Eddie Laycock are among the notable Irish winners. Brian Reid won five TTs but has been out of racing for some years as a result of a crash. Reid may make a comeback this summer, initially in some of the local Ulster road races.
The 90th Anniversary Isle of Man TT weeks runs from Saturday, May 31st through to Friday June 6th, with practice starting on May 26th.
Sean Bissett of Balbriggan was recently elected to his fifth term as president of the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland, at the Inter-Centre Conference. Andrew Campbell of Killinchy, Co Down, was returned as honorary secretary. Problems relating to the nomination of delegates to the world governing body (FIM) had resulted in the conference being cancelled on its original December date. All matters have now been successfully resolved.
. World champion Tommi Makinen of Finland and local favourite Thomas Radstrom clocked identical times of one minute 42 seconds last night to win the opening super special stage in the Swedish world championship rally.
Makinen, in a Mitsubishi, is the defending champion and tipped to win again. Last year, he led all the way for his first Swedish Rally victory. Radstrom, a Swede who drives for Toyota, won in 1994 but was never in contention last year.
Carlos Sainz of Spain and Jarmo Kytolehto of Finland, both in Fords, tied for third in 1.43.
