Motorsport: Mackarel will take more cautious approach on new Clare territory

Monaghan’s Derek Mackarel and his Cork co-driver Eamonn Creedon (Ford Fiesta R5) are the top seeds in tomorow’s Scariff based Clare Forest Rally. Picture: Martin Walsh.

It’s been all of 41 years since the last Clare Forest Rally, with tomorrow’s six-stage Scariff-based event returning to round off the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship and also featuring a counting round of the Land Rover Defender series where former World Rally champion Petter Solberg is the top seed.

It’s been somewhat of an unusual championship season insofar as the customary contingent of Northern Ireland competitors haven’t embraced the current campaign in comparison to previous years.