Donnelly back in Corolla for rally ‘one-off’

FORMER five-times Irish Tarmac champion Eugene Donnelly is a dramatic late entry for next week’s Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally in Bantry.

The Irish Examiner can also reveal that he will be reunited with the Toyota Corolla WRC he drove to nine of his 18 wins in rounds of the ITC. The Derry driver’s last national outing in the car was a charity fundraising event on the 2006 Donegal Harvest Rally, an event he also won. His last ITC outing was the 2009 Cork ‘20’ where second place netted him his fifth title.

Speaking last night, he said: “It was always my intention to do something before the end of the year. It’s a one-off for now, but it will be great to get out again on the stages.

“I want to see if the two-year lay-off makes any difference. The car won’t have the pace of the Subaru S12s, it won’t be easy at the start but my pace should be much better on the repeat loops.”

Donnelly, who won the National Championship in 2003, actually competed on last year’s Fastnet Rally where he drove a 1600cc Opel Corsa as part of a fundraising event.

Sligo’s, Daragh Mullen (20), who partnered Donnelly in the Lurgan Park Rally a few years ago, will read the pacenotes in the Bantry-based rally.

As for the future, he remarked: “I would like to do a few rounds of the tarmac next year, I will gauge how I’m driving and take it from there.”

Even though the Dunlop National Rally Championship winds down next weekend, series organisers have already revealed details of a revamped series for next season.

The national series is one of the success stories of Irish rallying and although Tim McNulty has clinched this season’s Dunlop crown, the Skibbereen and District Car Club have some 140 crews ready for action over the eight-stage rally.

For several years now, the rally’s sub-committee, led by Tralee-based Richard Talbot, have been constantly tweaking the series to ensure it remains at the forefront of Irish rallying. The major change in 2012 is the reduction from 10 to eight rounds with the best six rounds to score. A historic category will also be introduced to cater for a growing demand.

“A 10-round championship is unsustainable in the current climate, this is also the view of the competitors,” said Richard Talbot. “A compact series will encourage more competitors to get involved and make it even more competitive.”

The 2012 series will be as follows: Birr Rally (Abbeyleix): February 26; Mayo Rally: March 11; Circuit of Kerry: April 1; Carlow Rally: May 13; Circuit of Munster: June 3; Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally: August 5; Clare Rally: September 16; Donegal Harvest Rally: October 6.

This season’s presentation of awards takes place on November 19 at the Clayton Hotel, Galway.

Tomorrow’s Down Rally wraps up the Valvoline Forest Rally Championship and is the penultimate event of the Hankook Tyres Northern Ireland series.

Based in Castlewellan with servicing in Castlewellan Forest Park, the stage locations are around Rostrevor, Tollymore, Drumkeeragh, and Castlewellan.

Joint World Rally Championship leaders Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) and Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Fiesta) have promised an all-out attacking policy in the Rally of Spain, the penultimate round of the championship.

Today’s six stages are on gravel with a switch to sealed surface tomorrow and Sunday.

Loeb and Hirvonen are tied at the top on 196 points, while Loeb’s teammate Sebastien Ogier is also very much in contention.

Irish interest will be focused on Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (MINI WRC), Peter Solberg’s co-driver Chris Patterson and Waterford’s, Craig Breen.

Meanwhile, the Cork Motor Club are hosting a Rally Forum on Tuesday night next at the Commons Inn, Blackpool at 8pm.