12/03/07 - The popularity of Irish rallying is reflected by the high quality entry for this Saturday's McGrady Insurance Bishopscourt Stages Rally, round two of the Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

The Ballynahinch and District Motor Club event has attracted no less than 127 crews to the race circuit, which is based just outside Downpatrick, and it sees the return of current champion, Kevin Lynch.

After winning the championship three years on the trot, Dungiven's Lynch decided to take a break from this year's series. He had originally planned to enter the West Cork Rally, which also takes place over St. Patrick's weekend, but work commitments have forced him to re-evaluate his plans, and Lynch will bring his Ford Focus World Rally Car to Bishopscourt instead.

After dominating the series for so long, it's no surprise that Lynch and navigator Francis Regan will start the event as the number one seeds. The crew will be aiming to give their new Focus its maiden success, and a repeat of last year's victory could be on the cards.

Aiming to stop the KPL man in his tracks, Glenn Allen and Damien Connolly return in their Toyota Corolla WRC with number two on their doors. That elusive victory still escapes the Cookstown driver, although the crew almost nabbed a win at round one.

They were pipped at the post by Stephen Moore, who will start at number three. He and navigator Tony McHugh are riding on the crest of a wave, having secured victory at round one of both the Pacenotes series and the Southern Forestry championship.

Also in the hunt, Sean Devine and Damien Duffin head a plethora of Subaru Impreza WRCs, with Martin Doherty and Derek McGarrity next on the list. McGarrity, a former Irish Tarmac Champion, is more familiar with the driving seat but Bishopscourt marks his return to action after a mammoth accident during last year's Rally Isle of Man.

Dromara father and son, Denis and Stuart Biggerstaff, make another appearance together in their Feckin' Irish Whiskey Subaru Impreza WRC. They briefly led the opening round of the series before studs sheared causing a wheel to fall off their car.

Enniskillen's Raymond Johnston and Richard Bell also wheel out their Impreza ahead of Kieran Shaw and Crawford Henderson, while Ballymena's George Robinson and Tommy Speers will pilot their Ford Escort WRC. Completing the top ten seeds, brothers Craig and Rodger Bennett are set to wheel out their Metro 6R4.

Sunoco Fuels production category

Comber's Neil McCance, with Sean Ferris on the notes, start the event as top seeds among the production category crews. The spectacular Richard Cathcart also returns in his Impreza while Eoin McErlean and Donard McCann are looking for maximum points and the drum of Sunoco Fuel that goes with it. John Walker, Gareth Logan and current champion Stanley Ballantine will also be out to make an attack on the Group N crown.

Superdrive two wheel drive category

Camillus Bradley starts the event as the top two wheel drive seed, just ahead of event sponsor, Fintan McGrady. The insurance broker purchased a new Mark 2 Escort at the start of the year and is determined to entertain the crowds at his home event. James Kennedy and Andy Hawthorne also enter the fray, while Roy Haslett brings his F2 Escort to the circuit ahead of championship co-ordinator, Kieran O'Neill.

Summary

Scrutiny for the McGrady Insurance Bishopscourt Stages Rally takes place at Modern Tyres Service, Boucher Crescent (Belfast) on Friday 16 March. The event kicks off at 9am on Saturday 17 March. All six stages will be based within the confines of Bishopscourt Race Circuit.

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