John Gilleece must perform well in Sunday's Carlow Rally if he is to get a grip on this year's National Rally Championship.

The 1997 and 1998 winner was third on the Circuit of Kerry, his first appearance in the new series and his first rally in almost six months. He is currently 10th in the championship on 17 points, well behind Monaghan's Niall Maguire on 40, last year's runnerup. Gabriel Snow, second on 34 points, beat Maguire on a tiebreaker in Kerry but retired in Monaghan. He will push hard for championship points, as also will the unlucky Daniel Doherty and Ray Breen.

It will be a Subaru versus Ford battle on the 3x3 Co Carlow stages, at Old Leighlin (11 miles), Tomard (9.6 miles) and Aughabeg (8.6 miles). Maguire, Doherty, Frank O'Mahony and Mick McQuaid will be in Subaru Imprezas. Gilleece, Snow, Breen, Tommy Graham, Joe McGurk, Derek Smith and Dermot Kelly will be in various quick Ford Escorts.

Dublin drivers Michael Barrable and John McCluskey will line up in Toyota Celica GT4's. Barrable won the Carlow club's event in the early 1999s driving an Opel Manta.

The rally will start from the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, at 11 a.m. Central service will be at the Red Mills HQ in Goresbridge, Co Kilkenny.

The first Irish race for the new Dunlop RT2000 Saloon Championship will be featured by the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland at Kirkistown, Co Down, tomorrow. Drivers of the 2-litre Ford Zetecpowered racing saloons include reigning Dunlop Irish Touring Car champion George Crozier (Enniskillen) and Dublin saloon racing experts Gordon Kellett and John Keaney. Jonathan Fildes won last Sunday's inaugural race at Pembrey, Wales.

The meeting will also include races for Formula Ford Zetec and 1600, Formula Libre, Metros and the very quick Crossle sports-racing cars headed by current Crossle chief Arnie Black.

Killarney driver Derek Daly leads the new Ford Ka Rally Championship, having scored maximum points in his two home county events - the Circuit of Kerry and the Rally of the Lakes. Daly leads on 40 points from Ian Chadwick (Cork) 36, Keith Colton (Tullamore) 26, Paul Callan (Louth) 25, Oliver Stanley (Durrow) 24, and James Travers (Kilkenny) 22.

Dublin & District MCC open the season of grasstrack racing at Rathcoole on Sunday, with their popular annual event on the lands of Willie Harris. All the reigning champions will be in action, including Darren Leonard, Michael Conway, Mark Pollock, Paul Barron, Mark Norton, Jim Somers and Sean Kelly.