All the leading contenders in the FIA World Rally Championship start today's Swedish Rally from Karlstad - Round 2 of the 14-event series.
Tommi Makinen of Finland, reigning triple World Rally Champion, starts firm favourite in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6. The Finnish driver leads the 1999 Championship on 10 points following his recent Monte Carlo Rally win, with fellow Finn Juha Kankkunen in a Subaru Impreza 2nd on six points. Next in line are Frenchmen Didier Auriol (Toyota Corolla WRC) on four points and Francois Delecour (Ford Escort WRC) three; Belgian Bruno Thiry (Subaru) 2 and Piero Liatti of Italy (Seat) completing the points standings with 1 point.
The Martini Racing Ford Focus WRC in the hands of Scotland's Colin McRae was third on its rally debut in the Monte, but was afterwards disqualified over a technicality concerning the water pump. The 11th placed Focus of French driver Simon Jean-Joseph and Belfast-born co-driver Fred Gallagher was also disqualified. Revisions to the water pump system means that the Focus is cleared for the Swedish event, and two cars will be driven by McRae and former Swedish Rally winner Thomas Radstrom of Sweden.
Carlos Sainz of Spain will be anxious to do well in Sweden after crashing his Toyota Corolla WRC out of the Monte. With lots of ice and snow on the stages, it will be a tough event, especially if temperatures drop below the forecasted minus 25 Celsius, when the build up of ice on the stages can add a remarkable 100kgs to the weight of the competing cars, which is almost 10 per cent of the normal car body weight.
Sunday's Stapleton Cup event is Round Three of the MCUI (Southern Centre) Motor Cycle Trials Championship, at Sloggers, Glenasmole, in the Dublin Mountains. Wicklow riders Paul McLoughlin and Stuart Martin are level on 37 points, with a win and a second place each. Gordon Clarke and David Coughlan are joint leaders of Grade B. Warren Hendy leads Grade C; and in Grade D Tom Butler on 34 points leads Ashley Bourne (31). The Junior Grade leaders are Derek O'Neill and Johnny Carroll.
Eamonn Byrne's unbeaten run of wins in the Hewison Trophy series was ended in the recent Round 13, the reigning champion relegated to fourth by JJ Farrell, Paddy Power and Dermot Carnegie. Byrne leads the RIAC Autotest Championship on 300 points from Farrell (287) and Carnegie (274) and cannot be beaten for a sixth title with just two rounds to run. In the Novice Championship, Joanna Lenehan on 38 points is well clear of Vincent Fagan (22) and Joe Doran (22).
The Circuit of Ireland at Easter starts on Good Friday, April 2nd, from Bangor, the route to Tallaght taking in stages in the North and South before the first of the two Co Dublin overnight stops. The Easter Saturday stages will be south of Dublin, and the rally returns to Bangor on Easter Sunday evening for a late afternoon finish on Easter Monday. It is on the cards that Austin McHale will have the much rumoured Toyota Corolla WRC for the Circuit, which he has won twice including last year.
For motorcycle racing fans, Mondello Park on June 12/13th will be the place to be, when rounds of the British Production Machine Championship, the Aprilia 250 cc Championship and the Honda Hornets Championship will be featured. Motorcycle racing dates for Mondello this year are: March 28th; April 18th; May 9th; May 23rd; June 12/13th; July 4th; September 26th; October 10th.
