Sport

Donnelly heads line-up

Motor Sport Column All eyes will be on Eugene Donnelly in his Toyota Corolla WRC in the Ulster International Rally as the Derry…

Brian Foley
Fri Sept 01 2006 - 01:00

Motor Sport ColumnAll eyes will be on Eugene Donnelly in his Toyota Corolla WRC in the Ulster International Rally as the Derry driver displays his awesome skill and speed over the 120 miles of stages in Armagh and Tyrone. Donnelly is seeded number one and leads off the rally at 3pm today from Armagh City.

Tim McNulty, Eamonn Boland, Peadar Hurson, SeáDevine, Ray Breen, Maurice Gass, Nigel Hicklin, Paddy White, Seán McArdle and Emma McKinstry are seeded in that order after Donnelly.

In the Pirelli Tarmac Championship Donnelly leads on 77 points from Boland (61) and McGarrity (45). Regrettably McGarrity is hors de-combat after breaking his arm in a crash in the recent Manx event and will miss both the Ulster and the Cork 20 on September 30th/October 1st.

In the concurrently run British Championship round the leaders are Group N drivers Mark Higgins, Rory Galligan and Ryan Champion.

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Kris Meeke gives the Citroen C2 Super 1600 its Irish rally debut, and Guy Wilkes will no doubt perform another of his giant killing acts at the wheel of a Suzuki Ignis Super 1600.

In the Irish Group N battle Roy White on 58 points has a single point lead over Colm Murphy.

Last year's winner Andrew Browne, Padraig Price, Tom Holton, James Foley, Micky Curran, Dessie Keenan and Pat Donegan top the capacity entry in Sunday's Hellfire Rally run out of Oldcastle.

Gareth MacHale and Paul Nagle are contesting Rally Japan in a Ford Focus WRC.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

Friday - Ulster International Rally, starts Armagh City, 3pm. Saturday - Ulster International rally, restarts Armagh City, 7.30am; Donegal MC, Knockalla Hillclimb, Co Donegal, 11am; Co.Kildare MC, 4x4 Challenge, Barradoos Wood, Slieve Bloom Mountains, Co Offaly, 11am; Cork MC, Autotest, Vernon Mount, Cork City, 12pm; Carlow CC, Autocross, Seskin, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, 3pm. Sunday - Killarney and District MC, Forestry Rally, starts Castleisland, Co Kerry, 9am; Castle AC, Stage Rally, starts Oldcastle, Co Meath, 10.45am; Donegal MC, Knockalla Hillclimb, 11am; Co Kildare MC, 4x4 Challenge, Barradoos Wood, Slieve Bloom Mountains, Co Offaly, 11am; Munster MC and CC, Autotest, Vernon Mount, Cork City, 11.30am; Carlow CC, Autocross, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, 12.00pm; IKC, Kart Racing, Mondello Park, 12pm.