With two wins and a second-place finish, Niall Maguire of Monaghan is in a very challenging second position behind leader John Gilleece in the RIAC/Red Mills National Rally Championship. Reigning champion Gilleece missed the recent Raven's Rock Rally, run out of Waterford, which was won by Maguire, and the Belfast dentist will also miss round eight - Sunday's Sligo Stages run by the Connacht Motor Club and sponsored by Sligo Park Hotel and Parkes Fuels.
Gilleece's lead of 16 points is anything but secure, with the championship only at the halfway stage. Waterford's Ray Breen has twice failed to finish with his recently-acquired Ford Escort WRC and on 48 points is trailing Gilleece (74) and Maguire (58). Dermot Kelly (45) and Daniel Doherty (38) may also be threats.
The Sligo "Top 10" features several contenders for victory. Maguire will be at the wheel of his Subaru Legacy, Michael Barrable and Charlie Donnelly will rally Toyota Celica GT4s, and Breen and English visitor Pete Doughty will be in Ford Escort World Rally cars. Tom Spence will be in the ex-Fisher Subaru Impreza, Philip Young in a Ford Escort Kit Car to F.2 specifications, Yorkshire's Johnny Milner in a new Toyota Celica Group N, and former Champion George Robinson in an Escort Cosworth.
Added interest will be provided by the Seat Super Six contingent of Stephen Whitford, Mike Brown, Mark Perrott, Oliver Clark, Wayne Sisson and Mark Fisher, seeded number 29 to 34. Trevor Agnew also drives an Ibiza GTi 16V.
The stages around Lough Gill are: Carrowcrin, Dromahaire and Colcagh; service is on the main Sligo road near Manorhamilton.
Mark Kershaw and Michael Keohane will be looking for a good result at Silverstone this weekend where they will will compete in rounds nine and 10 of the Formula Opel European Union series. Kershaw, from Brittas, Co Dublin, and Keohane, from Clonakilty in Cork should have many Irish supporters, travelling over for the British Grand Prix. A week later the two Irishmen will compete in rounds 10 and 11 at Donington in the British Midlands.
They race under the banner of Status Motorsport, tutored by the highly-experienced double Irish champion and UK Formula Opel winner Wayne Douglas (Newtownhamilton), with backing from Status Hydraulics and Dennis Eagle. Tomorrow's race is after Formula One qualifying and the second Silverstone race is on Sunday at 11.45 a.m.
Second place on the Donegal International has given Austin McHale and Brian Murphy their second consecutive Tarmac Rally Championship success. Donegal winner Andrew Nesbitt is not doing the Manx, and his next event is likely to be the Cork 20, the final championship round.
McHale will also do the Cork event and says he might "consider doing a couple of rallies abroad over the next couple of months". The two Toyota Celica drivers are separated by nine points in the championship, McHale on 54 and Nesbitt on 45.
Any doubts about the final round not being held have been well and truly laid to rest by an announcement by the Munster Motor Cycle and Car Club that the Cork 20 International Rally will take place on October 3rd and 4th. It will be sponsored by Fitzpatrick's Cork Hotel (which will be Rally headquarters), Cuisine de France and the Ordnance Survey.
Two rounds of the RIAC/Dunlop Hillclimb Championship will be held by Cork Motor Club at a new venue in the Ballyhooley area on August 1st and 2nd, the Bank Holiday weekend.
