26/09/06 - Dungiven's Kevin Lynch heads the entry list for this Saturday's McGillen Bushwhacker Rally, round seven of the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

The event, which is based at the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh, features a brand new format this year with Omagh Motor Club running a new stage, while some of last year's stages will be in 'reverse'. The new format has added a buzz of excitement to the air and more than 100 competitors will cross the Omagh start ramp on Saturday morning.

The battle for championship honours is now a two horse race between Kevin Lynch (Dungiven) and Glenn Allen (Cookstown), with Allen heading the series by six points. Both men have entered the McGillen Bushwhacker event as they continue their tussle for the N.I. rally crown but Lynch is unbeaten in the series for two years. Can anyone stop him from taking another victory?

Raymond Johnston (Enniskillen) also returns to the fray in his Subaru Impreza WRC while Robbie McGurk (Strabane) could ruffle a few feathers. He always wipes the dust off his race suit for what is his local event and with a Subaru Impreza at his disposal, a podium result could be on the cards. James Gillen (Castlederg) completes the top five seeds, just ahead of Stephen Moore, Sean Devine and Kevin O'Kane.

In the Group N category, event sponsor Brian McGillen (Omagh) heads the list at number nine in his Subaru Impreza while John McGlaughlin (Cookstown) completes the top ten. Raymond Mason and Terry McGonigle also return to the fray while a good result for Strabane's Stanley Ballantine could see him move to the top of the production category standings.

In two wheel drive terms, another local man heads the list with the spectacular Paul Barrett wheeling out his G3 Escort. It has already been a very successful year for Barrett, who recently clinched England's BTRDA Silver Star Championship on his first attempt. Moy's Frank Kelly is also hoping to return to action after his Lakeland accident while Greg McCormack and Mark Barnett are ready for some sideways action!

The rally starts on Saturday when competitors leave the Silverbirch Hotel at 9.30am. The all-forestry event features 12 special stages and 44 stage miles of competition, with the winner due to cross the finish ramp at approximately 5.30pm.

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