Graham heads Supercar entry at Mondello Park

THE Quaife British Rallycross Championship and Summer Rallycross dovetail at Mondello Park on Sunday, where reigning Irish champion Tommy Graham will have plenty of opposition in the Supercar division.

Mondello Park stalwart Kevin Proctor (Ford Focus), who has plenty of experience at the venue, brings the Supercar grid to nine, with a double figure entry for the top division still a possibility. Others in the category are Pat Doran (Ford Focus), David Binks (Ford Focus), Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta), George Tracey (Citroen Xsara) and Derek Jobb (Ford Escort).

Other categories are the Super Modified, Suzuki Swift, RX150 Buggies, Stockhatch and Rallycar classes. In the RX Buggies, UK-based Limerick drivers, Ollie O’Donovan, Geoffrey Dolan, Paul Barrett and Joe Shrimpton are amongst the entry.

Race organisers have introduced a number of admission schemes with adult admission priced at €10. Groups travelling together can make even bigger savings with the occupants of each car gaining entry for €30. All admission prices include a complimentary programme and free grandstand seating.

Kerry’s Alan Ring (Mitsubishi) and his Cork co-driver, Adrian Deasy are the top seeds for Sunday’s Laois Heartlands Mini Stages Rally. The former Dunlop National Group N champions will utilise the six stage event to test their Munster Joinery liveried Mitsubishi ahead of next week’s Topaz Donegal International Rally.

Following disappointing outings in the Circuit of Ireland and the Rally of the Lakes, they will be keen to iron out any niggling issues ahead of the three-day Donegal event. Opposition will include Mark Courtney (Toyota Celica ST205), Tommy Doyle (Renault Clio), Rodney Wilton, David Condell, both in Ford Escorts, and Mark Donnelly (Renault Clio).

Ballymacoda in east Cork will host the National Autocross Championship and the second round of the Munster Championship on Sunday. Practice begins at 11.30am with the first competitive run at 12.30pm. Other events are the Mayo Autocross at Harrington’s Quarry near Swinford, the Kerry Autosolo at the Tralee Racecourse and the MRCCI Midget Car Race at Abbeylara, Longford.

The entry list for next week’s Topaz Donegal International Rally was revealed earlier this week with Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) heading the capacity entry. The rally is the fourth round of the Irish Tarmac Championship. Series leader, Kevin Barrett (Subaru WRC) is seeded at 149 and is expected to be re-seeded in the top frame.

One interesting entry in the Modified category is Donegal driver Vincent Bonner, the first local driver to win the event now celebrating its 40th anniversary. Bonner, and his winning co-driver, Seams McGettigan will drive a hired Ford Escort that will have the same livery as the 1983 winning Escort.

The three-day event is also a counting round of the Citroen Racing Trophy with Limerick’s Mark Sheahan expected to set the pace. Friday’s six stages will be centred around Fanad Head with servicing in Milford. There are 10 stages tomorrow while Sunday’s eight stages in the Inishowen Peninsula conclude with a double run of the street stage at Buncrana. Regulations are now available for the Kerry Rallysprint at Ballybegan racecourse in Tralee on Saturday July 23. The event will be run over a 2.4km track, a mixture of tarmac and compact gravel. Entry is limited to the first 120 competitors.

A number of Irish crews will tackle the Ypres Rally in Belgium at the end of the month. Dubliner Robert Barrable (Skoda Fabia S2000), the current Billy Coleman award winner and his co-driver, Damien Connolly, will be joined by Jonny Greer/Dai Roberts in a similar Skoda Fabia S2000), Neil McCance/Anthony O’Connell (Mitsubishi), Tommy Doyle/Liam Moynihan (Renault Clio) and Jonny Leonard/Jackie Elliott (Ford Fiesta). The rally is a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series.