Niall Maguire of Monaghan and his Limerick co-driver Anthony Nestor only have to finish in the top five in the Seaview Hotel-sponsored Donegal Rally to take the Red Mills National Championship this weekend. Maguire, in a Subaru Impreza, leads the series on 145 points from David Armstrong in the exJames Cullen Ford Escort Cosworth on 128 points, Michael Barrable (Toyota Celica) on 108 and Dominic Loughran (BMW M3) on 104.
Barrable is the only driver who can overtake Maguire, but the cards are pretty much stacked against the late-charging Dubliner. The Donegal drivers will no doubt excel on their home stages, particularly Paul Harris, who is chasing a hat trick of wins, Daniel Doherty and Hugh Martin Doherty in a trio of Imprezas.
Run out of Bunbeg, the rally will cover 4x2 stages at Sleehan, Cashelnagor, Muckish and Port Lake; service at Port Na Blagh/ Dunfanaghy. The final round of the 14-event series will be the Skibbereen Stages Rally on October 24th.
The mud pluggers compete in the second sporting trial of the 1999/2000 season today at Tiglin near Newcastle, Co Wicklow.
Erskine cars filled the first three places in the recent season opener, Tony Farrell driving his Erskine-Opel beating Gordon and Philip Erskine.
The latest Erskine-Yamaha, designed and built by the Dublin twins, showed great potential in the capable hands of the father and son duet of Ken and Jonathan Fildes. It would be ironic if the Fildes pairing were to topple Gordon and Philip from their lofty heights.
The winner of the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on October 24th will be presented with the Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy, in memory of the young Dublin racing driver who was tragically killed in a race at Oulton Park last May.
The Shanahan family will donate a cheque for £1,000 to the winner of this prestigious event, which was previously won by Derek Daly, Michael Roe, Martin Donnelly and current World Championship contender Eddie Irvine.
