RICHIE HOLFELD'S challenge for World Rally Championship Group N honours begins today with the start of the Swedish Rally at Karlstad.
The Dublin driver will be at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 3 run by the German based Mitsubishi Ralliart, who will also run a Group A car for the Finnish pairing of Tommi Makinen and Seppo Haqanne.
They will also run another Group N car for Uwe Nittel (Germany) and co driver Tina Thorner of Sweden, three times World Ladies Championship winning co driver.
This is Holfeld's biggest test in rallying. He has done most of his rallying abroad and to good effect. In 1991 he drove a Metro 6R4 to victory in the BTRDA (British) Gold Star Championship, and in 1993 he was third overall in the Middle East Championship in which he finished second on the Oman and Dubai Rallies at the wheel of a Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
An accomplished driver on loose surfaces, from the dry sands of the desert events to the muddy forest tracks of the RAC Rally, Holfeld has not previously rallied on snow.
There's snow in abundance in Sweden for the opening round of the Championship, and some stages are held on frozen lakes.
In temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius Holfeld was happy with last week's testing.
"The car is so well built and prepared that we have no problems with the cold. I have been able to set the car up to suit my driving style. I am now looking forward to starting the rally proper. I feel I now understand the special requirements needed for the rally and the car is working well. I am confident of us posting a good result and starting the season well."
Today the rally covers nine stages/195.67 km. It restarts from Falun tomorrow, covering 13 stages/186.28 km; and Sunday sees the final leg from Karlstad, five stages/113.70 km.
Holfeld and his English Co driver Ian Grindrod are seeded 26th.
The Mitsubishi Ralliart HQ is located at Russelsheim near Frankfurt, where 15 people are in full time employment on the preparation of Mitsubishi rally cars and rallycross cars, for Ralliart Team drivers and privateers. The Ralliart team director is a former rally driver, Ingold Raiss.
Dermot Carnegie is expected to make his debut his Division One Ford Escort in Sunday's rallycross at Mondello Park. The new 1996 All Ireland Rallycross Championship gets under way with Larne N4C and Co Kildare MC double fixture on April 27th/ 28th. The championship features events at Mondello, Nutts Corner, Kirkistown and Ty Croes, Holyhead.
Just a few weeks ago, the prospects of holding the Irish round of the European Rallycross Championship looked extremely bleak. It is now hoped to stage this event at Mondello Park on June 22nd/23rd.
Paul McLoughlin leads the MCUI (Southern Centre) Trials Championship after five of the 12 rounds. A maximum of five wins in five events sees the polished Greystones rider with a massive lead of 59 points over namesake Brian McLoughlin in Grade A, the experts' class which is also the overall category.
