The Stena Line Ulster Rally which starts today at 1.30 p.m. in Belfast, has a truly star-studded entry, with all the leading contenders in the Mobil One British Rally Championship.

Reigning champion Gwyndaf Evans starts at number one in a works Ford Escort RS2000, followed in seeded order by the rest of the top dozen entrants, in an entry of over 70, plus the historic cars.

Andrew Nesbitt, Peadar Hurson and Eamonn Boland are fancied for an outright win in their Group A four-wheel-drive supercars. The battle of the Formula Two (i.e. front-wheel-drive cars) should be between Evans, Allister McRae and Robbie Head, with possible strong competition from Kenny McKinstry and Liam O'Callaghan.

McRae is the leader of the British Championship on 72 points, from Evans (64), Head (61), Tapio Laukkanen (48) and Martin Rowe (45).

After the Donegall Place start in central Belfast the rally will cover stages in the Banbridge-Newry area, finishing this evening from eight o'clock.

Tomorrow's stages are in the Dungannon, Aughnacloy and Draperstown area, finishing back in Belfast by mid afternoon.

Although the major emphasis on the Ulster Rally is on the British Championship contenders, it is also a round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

Austin McHale has already won the series and is not competing in the Ulster, but Boland and Hurson are equal second on 30 points, with England's Pete Doughty fourth on 30 points. They will be pushing hard for place improvements, and Des O'Callaghan will want to improve on his 11th place on only 10 points.

The final tarmac round is the Manx International on September 11th to 13th.

There is more motorsport action in Northern Ireland this weekend, with the mid-Antrim 150 motorcycle races tomorrow at Dundrod. This is an important prelude to the Ulster Grand Prix also held over the Dundrod Circuit, and all the regulars are entered. This year's Ulster GP is set for the 23rd of this month.

August will be a busy month, with the Rothmans Phoenix Park Motor Races on the 16th and 17th and two rounds of the Coras National Rally Championship: The Tipperary Stonethrowers' on the 10th and the ALMC Montague Laois Stages on the 24th.

The third Kells Motorcycle Road Races will be held over a new 2.1-mile circuit at Crossakiel, Co. Meath on August ninth and 10th.

Galway Motor Club's two rounds of the Millers Oils National Autocross Championship will be held on the weekend of August 16th and 17th at Clonbane, which will be signposted from Moylough, Mountbellow and Glenamaddy.