Motor Sport ColumnRacing cousins Peter and Morgan Dempsey are among the favourites for Sunday's Leinster Trophy feature race at Mondello Park.
Having won the MSV British Championship, Peter Dempsey would particularly like to add the prestigious Leinster Trophy to his impressive racing CV.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Fildes is looking good to continue his unbeaten record in the Dunlop Supercar Championship, which he has already won, and Jenny Ryan needs another good result in the Fiat Punto Cup to win the championship. Formula Sheane, Formula Vee and Formula Libre are also listed, as well as Fiat Punto Abarth and Uno races.
The Celtic Tiger is rampant in Irish rallying, to such an unprecedented extent that rallies this weekend in Wexford and Mullingar have each attracted the permitted maximum of 131 crews, which adds up to 524 competitors, plus a large reserve list.
There is a Carlow-Wexford encounter in the Dick Bailey Wexford rally between Stephen Murphy and Eamon Boland. They have both won the rally six times but it is 10 years since they have competed head-to-head.
Sam Johnston (Longford) beat reigning champion Eddie Peterson and JJ Farrell in last weekend's opening rounds of the Hewison Trophy Autotest Championship in Cork.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: Wexford MC, Dick Bailey Stages Rally, starts Rosslare, Co Wexford, 10.30am.
Sunday: Wexford MC, Dick Bailey Stages Rally, re-starts Rosslare, 10.30am; Castle MC, Hellfire Rally, starts Mullingar, Co Westmeath, 10.45am; Co Kildare MC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, 11.30am; Leinster MC, Leinster Trophy Motor Races, Mondello Park, 12pm.
