NORTHERN IRELAND stages major motor sport events this with the Stena Line Ulster starting at 2 p.m. today to cover 170 stage miles in 26 hours and tomorrow the crowds will gather in their usual thousands at Dunrod to watch a packed programme of races in the Ulster Grand meeting.
The Ulster Rally is round four of the British Rally championship, for Formula Two cars and is also round five of the Irish Tarmac championship. Reigning British champion Alister McRae (Scotland) in a VW Golf GTI is the number one seed, ahead of current championship leader Gwyndaf Evans (Wales) and his Ford Escort RS2000 team mate Harri Rovanpera (Finland), with Tarmac championship leader Bertie Fisher (Subaru Impreza) seeded number four.
Alain Orielle (France) is the number five seed in a Renault Maxi Megrane, and Eamonn Boland (Wexford) is seeded six in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
Fisher is favoured to win in his Group A Subaru, but Boland in his Group A Escort Cosworth may find it tough among so many visiting drivers.
The only other Irish entrants of note are Kenny McKinstry who is seeded number 13 in an Escort RS2000 and Trevor Cathers, seeded number 15 in his Group N Impreza.
In the prestigious British Rally championship, Welshman Gwyndaf Evans on 71 points has a dominant lead over Finnish drivers Jouko Puhakka (VW Golf) and Jarmo Kytolehto (Ford) on 44 and 43 points respectively. McRae will be hard to beat, but Evans will not be pushing it as neither Puhakka or Kytolehto are taking part in the Ulster Rally.
Evans will debut a new lightweight Escort built by Gordon Spoonert Engineering, He has two wins and a second, and as he says. While I have a healthy lead, the way the scoring works means the results from the Ulster count for more points than the previous rallies, so it's even more important to finish than to risk it all by going for a win."
There are six stages in Co Down this afternoon, before the rally returns to Belfast from 8 p.m. with a midway service in Newry. The rally restarts at 4 a.m. The route is through Dungannon for stages in Co Armagh, on down the Clogher Valley and to Cookstown, and then over the Sperrin Mountains to Draperstown before returning to Belfast for the 4 p.m. finish.
The 67th International Ulster Grand Prix has attracted an entry of 408 riders from Belgium, Britain, Holland, Italy, Latvia, Spain, USA and Ireland. And heading this international list is Philip McCallum of Portadown, making his first home appearance since the North West 200 in May. McCallum created a record in the Isle of Man in June, winning four TT races. Tomorrow the 32 year old road racer rides Honda machines in the Junior (250cc), Superbike and Regal 600 races, and is tipped to win five races.
Local hero Joey Dunlop may not be racing at Dunrod. The vet Ulsterman won two more TT races in June to increase his Isle of Man record to 21 wins. However, he suffered a hand injury in a fall during a race at Riga in Latvia at the end of June, and unless his hand is strong enough he will not compete.
Sunday's speed sport includes round six of the RIAC/Elf Oils National Autocross Championship, led by Ger Brennan of Killarney in his four litre Chevrolet V8 Special on 24 points from John Carroll, Durrow, Co Laois, (22 points) and reigning champion James Travers, Kilkenny (20 points). The venue is Taghmon, Co Wexford.
