Farney’s Maguire has home hopes

Local hero and six-time winner Niall Maguire heads a capacity entry for Sunday’s Monaghan Rally that includes a 30k stage as part of a three-stage loop.

Maguire last won his home event in 2011 where he campaigned his current S11 Subaru WRC and a seventh success is not a certainty even though there are only two other WR cars on the entry.

Omagh’s Seamus Leonard, in an S9 Subaru, showed great pace in the second round of the Dunlop series in Claremorris early last month. Indeed, were it not for a three-minute road penalty — incurred en-route to the opening stage when his car suffered a misfire — he would have been a contender.

Meanwhile Donegal’s Donagh Kelly, who was third in that event in Claremorris, has switched from his Mitsubishi to a S11 Subaru. His pace in the ex-PJ McDermott car should be quick and will give Maguire plenty to think about.

Billy Coleman award nominee Daniel McKenna (Escort) cannot be discounted. His car is likely to be quicker over the faster parts of the stages.

The Modified category is particularly strong as illustrated by the presence of fellow rivals Gary McPhillips, Declan Boyle, Camillus Bradley and Brian Brogan.

Elsewhere, there are places for Maurice Moffett (Toyota Starlet), Paul Barrett (Ford Escort), Declan Gallagher (Toyota Starlet) and John Hendy (Toyota Corolla).

Current Billy Coleman Award winner Sam Moffett (Mitsubishi) is the top Group N entry. Based at the Hillgrove Hotel, the first car away for the day’s nine stages is at 9.25am.

Elsewhere, the Carrick-on-Suir club host a Grass Autocross and Midget Car races tomorrow (3pm) and Sunday (noon) at Ballinaclough near Tramore, Co Waterford. The IKC Kart races at Kiltorcan, Co Kilkenny on Sunday start at 11am.

Organisers of the recent Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland have received positive feedback from those involved in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge series. However, it is far too early to say if the rally will be a counting round of the 2013 series. Although not as expensive to host as a round of the WRC, there are huge costs involved.

Event director, Bobby Willis has been the principal architect in raising the profile of the rally and it is no secret that the rally has cost him personally. When he took over some three years ago, Willis promised to “awaken the sleeping giant”. He certainly has achieved that.

Willis has acknowledged the results system wasn’t ideal and needs attention. The continuation of Armagh as a base is not guaranteed, indeed there is increasing speculation of a change. Willis is open to the idea of using stages north and south of the border, with possibly a start or finish in either Belfast of Dublin, could bring in that much-needed extra revenue.

Of course, the purists’ view would involve Killarney. Can you imagine what the IRC drivers would think of Moll’s Gap? Details of the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes will be launched on Sunday evening next.

The Ford World Rally Team has completed an agreement for Dani Sordo and his co-driver, Carlos del Barrio to drive for the squad in next week’s Rally Argentina. Sordo takes the place of regular Ford ace, Jari-Matti Latvala, who was forced to withdraw from the fifth round after breaking his left collarbone in a cross-country skiing accident while training in northern Finland last week.

The new weekly Irish motorsport programme on TG4 continues each Wednesday night at 11pm.