Sitting in his little1.4-litre Ford, Eamonn McCafferty watched the high-powered rally cars hurtling away from the start line in an almost deafening roar.

ALTHOUGH Gareth MacHale (Ford Focus WRC) leads the Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship and is the best placed of four drivers to win the title, he is also the driver under most pressure ahead of this weekend’s final round, the Cork ‘20’ International Rally.

IT’s the second oldest rally in the world and the most recognised event in Irish motorsport. As the UTV Drive Circuit of Ireland gets underway from Dundalk early tomorrow afternoon, it’s also the beginning of a new era.

YOUNG guns, Keith Cronin, 23, and Craig Breen, 20, represent the changing demographic of Irish rallying as the Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship gets underway tomorrow with the Safety Direct Galway International Rally.