The RIAC Dunlop Hillclimb Championship goes into the last two double rounds with the weekend's climbs at a new venue near Ballyhooley, Co Cork, followed by the two final events in Donegal on September 12th and 13th.
The battle for the premier award, the Frank Keane Trophy, is between three drivers. Reigning champion Ronnie Maybin leads on 73 points, with Donal Griffin and Padraig Forde in a challenging position on 71 and 68 points, respectively.
Former champion Jenny Kennedy is effectively out of contention on 55 points, but under no threat from Dick Bailey (28) and Cyril Lynch (21).
Cork Motor Club run tomorrow's and Sunday's rounds over a two miles course of smooth tarmac with some fast flowing bends. The meeting is sponsored by the Castle Tavern of Ballyhooley, located between Mallow and Fermoy.
Damien Faulkner (23) of Ballyrattin, Moville, Co Donegal, has had a totally frustrating start to his bid for honours in the new Formula Palmer Audi services in Britain. He has experienced serious teething trouble with his car.
Faulkner now needs some strong results if he is to salvage anything from a season that initially showed such promise, and as he aptly put it "we just don't ever seem to be able to get a chance to string even a a couple of laps together because there is always some sort of problem to sort out. I should be challenging for race victories, not having to sit in the pits while my car is worked on."
All the top contenders in the British Rally Championship are entered in the Stena Line Ulster Rally which starts today from Donegall Place, Belfast, at 1.30 p.m. and will finish tomorrow back in Belfast from 4.00 p.m. The Ulster is the penultimate round of the seven-round series, led by Martin Rowe on 143 points from Gwyndaf Evans 139, Neil Wearden 102, Alister McRae 99, Tapio Laukkanen 87 and Jarmo Kytolchto 67.
Rowe heads the 60 plus entry in a Renault Megane Maxi, followed by Alister McRae (VW Gold GTi), Gwyndaf Evans (Seat Ibiza), Raimund Baumschlager (VW Golf GT1), Tapio Laukkanen (Renault Megane Maxi).
After today's start there are two stages before service at Castlewellan Forest Park, followed by two more stages in the Newry and Mourne areas and another service at Carnbane on the outskirts of Newry. Four more stages take the rally back to Belfast through Banbridge and Lisburn areas.
Following tomorrow's early restart there will be a group of five stages around Moygashel, Benburb and Aughnacloy, then three more stages from Granville through Cookstown and Tober more; and a final three stages around the Northern shores of Lough Neagh.
The fourth and final rounds of the Status Hydraulics Under-21 Motocross Championship takes place on Sunday at Johnstown Motocross Park, Naas. Graeme Vigors (Wicklow) leads Mark Mooney (Dublin) by 51 points. The top six overall are: 1, Graeme Vigors 296; 2, Mark Mooney 245; 3, C Lawless 243; 4, G Fox 235; 5, D Nally 222; 6, R Short 202. Grade A: Vigors; Grade B: Ciaran Lawless. Grade C: Gavin Fetherston.
Fixtures
Friday: Ulster Rally, starts Donegal Place, Belfast, 1.30 pm.
Saturday: Stena Line Ulster Rally, re-starts Belfast, 5.30 am; Cork MC, Hillclimb, Ballyhooley, Co Cork, 13.00; Mid-Antrim 150 Motorcycle Races, Clough, Co Antrim, roads close 10 am: IKC, Kart Racing, Mondello Park, 13.00.
