Two of Irish rallying's biggest attractions, Austin McHale and Billy Coleman, will draw huge crowds to the weekend's Keohane Readymix West Cork Rally, although Coleman will not actually be competing in the rally.
McHale had a disastrous start, or rather non-start, to the season, when a mechanical problem on his usually reliable Toyota Celica GT4 stopped him taking part in the first stage of the recent Statoil Galway International. The five-times Tarmac Champion is doing the West Cork to get in tune for the Circuit of Ireland at Easter, but he will also be going for a win. Brian Murphy will be on the pace notes. McHale won this rally in 1990 in a BMW M3 with Ronan McNamee as co-driver.
Last year's event was won by Donal O'Donovan and Pat Lordan, and they are seeded number two in a Ford Sierra Cosworth behind McHale. Pete Doughty and Bob Fowden will also be on the pace in a pair of Escort WRCs.
Tomorrow's stages are at Ardfield, Glandore, Sam's Cross and Ballygurteen, each run twice. Sunday's stages are Argideen, Kilcolman, Ring; incorporated in two laps and one lap of two stages, with a service halt in Bandon. The two-day event is run out of Clonakilty with Rally HQ at Inchydoney Island.
Championship races for Formula Ford Zetec, Formula Vee, Fiat Unos and Dunlop Strykers will be run at the Mondello Park season opener on Sunday, with all races over the original 1.24 miles national circuit.
George McAlpin, Richard Ryan, Paul Dagg, Alan Ring, and 60-plus veteran Tommy Reid are sure to liven up Formula Ford Zetec.
All eyes will be on newcomer Robert Coleman, son of Billy Coleman, as he makes his debut in the competitive Ford of Ireland Championship series.
Irish Dunlop sponsor Formula Vee for the first time, and with so many entries there will be four separate divisions, a to d. Brian Hearty of Dundalk will be chasing hard for a fifth consecutive title, strongly challenged by Padraic Owens, Ray Moore, Paul Heavey and Dominic Dillon. Starting on Sunday, the Dunlop Formula Vee Championship will be run over six rounds at Mondello, two at Kirkistown, Co Down, and one at Pembrey in Wales. Drivers to watch in the Dunlop Strykers series will be Joanthan Fildes, Graham McClintock and Jonathan Taylor.
The autotest experts have a double date this weekend, with the TDC's annual international trophy event tomorrow at Whitestown, between Blessington and Baltinglass. The Republic and Northern Ireland will both be represented by two teams and there will also be an English team. The first three places in the 1998/99 RIAC/Hewison Trophy Championship have been decided: Eamonn Byrne, JJ Farrell and Dermot Carnegie, but there will be keen competition for the runner-up placings in Sunday's final round, run by the Co Kildare MC at The Curragh.
Carnegie and fellow Dublin driver Helmut Holfeld compete in the opening round of the RAC British Rallycross Championship at Croft.
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