The Ulster Automobile Club has received 217 entries for the Meteor Electrical Circuit of Ireland International Rally, which will start in Enniskillen next weekend. Over the Easter Weekend three Rallies will be held and the number of entries in each event is as follows:
Meteor Electrical Circuit of Ireland International Rally – 56Meteor Electrical National and Historic Rally – 73Meteor Electrical Easter Stages Rally – 88
Never before have so many cars entered the Circuit and on top of that the entry is of the highest calibre.
The joint Pirelli Tarmac Champion and winner of the last two Circuit of Ireland’s, Derek McGarrity, is seeded at number 1. He has entered in a Skoda Fabia but there are rumours that he will start the Rally in a Subaru Impreza. Trying to ensure that Derek does not get a hat trick is Eugene Donnelly, who won the opening round of the Championship in Galway, and two previous winners of the Easter classic, Austin McHale and Andrew Nesbitt. However, as Tim McNulty, who led the Cork 20 last year, and the current Northern Ireland Stage Rally Champion, Kevin Lynch, are also in the top 10, they too could prevent Derek from winning the Circuit again.
Seeded at number 1 in the National and Historic Rally are Paul Gallagher and Karl Reid, who won the National section of the Galway International Rally in February. At number 2 is Seamus O’Connell, followed by Raymond Spence. Seeded at number 20 is the first Historic car which is driven by Frank Cunningham. He will be pushed all the way to the finish by Mervyn Johnston, Philip McDowell and Niall Creighton, who are seeded directly behind him.
The top three cars in the Meteor Electrical Easter Stages Rally are driven by Kieran Shaw, Glenn Allen and Denis Biggerstaff. However, with Cahal Arthurs in his Hyundai Accent WRC at number 4, followed by Raymond Johnston in an Impreza and Craig Bennett in the Focus WRC, it will be interesting to see who will be quickest over the stages on Easter Saturday. Mind you, with Dickie Curran and Neil McCance elsewhere in the top 15, you can guarantee that it will be a closely fought battle.
The top twenty in each event is as follows:
METEOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OF IRELAND INTERNATIONAL RALLY 2005
Comp No Driver Co Driver Driver Town Car
1 Derek McGarrity Dermot O'Gorman NEWTOWNABBEY Skoda Fabia WRC2 Eugene Donnelly Paul Keily MAGHERAFELT Toyota Corolla3 Austin McHale Brian Murphy RATHCOOLE Ford Focus4 Andrew Nesbitt James O'Brien ARMAGH Subaru Impreza5 Eamonn Boland Francis Reagan WEXFORD Subaru Impreza6 Peadar Hurson Glenn Patterson ARMAGH Subaru Impreza7 Tim McNulty Eugene O'Donnell SUMMERHILL Subaru Impreza WRC S108 Kevin Lynch Gordon Noble L'DERRY Subaru Impreza WRC9 Maurice Gass Andrew Cullen ARMAGH Subaru Impreza11 Roy White Greg Shinnors CLONMEL Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8 MR12 Colm Murphy Ger Loughrey ATHEA Subaru Impreza13 Garry Jennings Rory Kennedy ENNISKILLEN Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 614 Aaron McHale Gerard McMonagle KILCULLEN Mitsubishi EVO 8.515 Gareth Jones TBA CARMARTHEN Subaru Impreza WRC16 Sean Devine TBA STRABANE Subaru Impreza17 Willie Fannin Mick Courtney DUBLIN 6 Subaru Impreza18 Alan Nesbitt Enda Sherry ARMAGH Subaru Impreza19 Frank O'Mahony Michael Lyster CARRIGALINE Subaru Impreza WRC20 Paddy White TBA NAVAN Subaru Impreza S921 Donagh Kelly Adrian Deasy DUNLEER Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6
METEOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OF IRELAND NATIONAL & HISTORIC RALLY 2005
Comp No Driver Co Driver Driver Town Car
101 Paul Gallagher Karl Reid LETTERKENNY Toyota Corolla102 Seamus O'Connell Sean Magee L'DERRY Ford Escort MK II103 Raymond Spence Barry McParland NEWTOWNARDS Ford Escort104 Brian Durnien Martin McGarrity ENNISKILLEN Ford Escort RS105 Harold Brown Mark Scollan ENNISKILLEN Vauxhall Astra GSi106 Neil Coalter Pamela McCoubrey BALLYCLARE Honda Civic107 Andrew Knox Andrew Russell KILLYGORDON Toyota Corolla108 Paul Barrett Dermot Colgan OMAGH Ford Escort109 David Craine Janet Craine HIGHER FOXDALE, IOM Ford Escort Cosworth110 John McGlaughlin David McElroy COOKSTOWN Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 7111 Paul McKenna TBA MAGHERAFELT Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6112 Seamus Devine Cathal Lagan L'DERRY Mitsubishi EVO113 William Vance Tom Vance CASTLEDERG Subaru Impreza114 Jonathan McDaid Sarah Forde CASTLEDERG Peugeot 106 Super Cup115 Ian Duff Ian Hull COOKSTOWN Proton Satria116 Declan McNaughton Barry McCarte BALLYMENA Ford Escort MK II117 Clive Latimer Raymond Moore CRAIGAVON Citroen Saxo VTR118 Paddy O'Reilly Peter Howley CASTLEBLAYNEY Ford Escort G5119 David Thompson TBA CRAIGAVON Peugeot 106 GTI120 Frank Cunningham Ross Forde BOSTON, USA Morris Mini Cooper S
METEOR ELECTRICAL EASTER STAGES RALLY 2005
Comp No Driver Co Driver Driver Town Car
301 Kieran Shaw Crawford Henderson COLERAINE Mitsubishi WRC302 Glenn Allen Damien Connolly COOKSTOWN Ford Escort303 Denis Biggerstaff Damian McCann DROMORE Subaru Impreza304 Cahal Arthurs Martin Brady NEWTOWNARDS Hyundai Accent WRC305 Raymond Johnston Richard Bell ENNISKILLEN Subaru Impreza306 Craig Bennett Rodger Bennett CLOGHER Ford Focus WRC308 David Armstrong TBA NEWRY Subaru P2000309 Dickie Curran Gary Lyons DONAGHADEE Subaru Impreza WRC310 Gary White Richard Curry BELFAST Ford Escort Cosworth311 Martin Elliott Brian Crawford ANTRIM Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6312 John McGlaughlin David McElroy COOKSTOWN Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 7313 Terry McGonigle TBA STRABANE Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8314 Stephen Moore Stephen Griffith DUNGANNON Subaru Impreza315 Neil McCance TBA NEWTOWNARDS Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8 MR316 Eoin McErlean Donard McCann COLERAINE Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 7317 Gary Cairns Justin Coyle STRABANE Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6318 Alan Connolly Rodney Wallace BALLYMONEY Ford Escort G3319 Eddie Quinn Robbie Hamilton DUNGANNON Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 5320 Gary Rodgers David Meeke BALLYNAHINCH Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6321 Alistair Cochrane Pam Norris BUSHMILLS Ford Escort
