MOTOR SPORT Column:Ray Breen and Aaron MacHale in Ford Focus WRCs and Patrick Elliott in a Subaru WRC are the top three drivers in Sunday's Circuit of Kerry run out of Tralee for round two of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.
The Kerry Motor Club are donating part of the programme sales to the Kerry branch of the Irish Cancer Society.
Breen and MacHale took the first two places on the recent Mayo rally, with Noel Redmond, Glenn Allen, Seán Devine, Niall Maguire, Kevin Barrett , Seán Gallagher, and Group N drivers Mike Curran and Séamus Leonard completing the top 10.
Patrick Elliott had a disastrous start to his championship challenge when his car suffered a gearbox problem on the first junction of the first Mayo stage. Drivers can drop two of their worst scores out of the 10 qualifying rounds so things can only get better for the Cavan driver.
Martin Doherty and Liam McCarthy are expected to be on the pace over the 2x2 stages at Castleisland, Ballymacelligott, Knocknagoshol and Lyracrompane. Castleisland driver Alan Ring, Milke Curran, Willie Fannin, Ian Barrett, Séamus Leonard and Kevin Kelleher are the leading Group N challengers.
The Irish motor racing season starts at Kirkistown, Co Down, tomorrow. Ray Moore and Ken Elliott are fancied in Formula Vee, with Rod McGovern heading the Supercars.
Wexford Motor Club start the hillclimb season with two events at Glynn and Ballyanne.
WEEKEND FIXTURES- Saturday: Wexford MC, Hillclimb, Glynn, 11am; 500 MRCI, Motor Racing, Kirkistown, Co Down, 1.30pm; Birr & District AC, Autocross, The Rocks, Birr, Co Offaly, 2pm. Sunday: Kerry MC, Circuit of Kerry Rally, starts Tralee, 9.30am; Wexford MC Hillclimb, Ballyanne, 11pm; Birr & District AC, Autocross, The Rocks, Birr, Co Offaly, 12.45pm; Co Cavan MC, Autocross, Latton, Cootehill, 12pm
