18/10/08 - The tussle for the Pacenotes MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship crown will be decided this Saturday 1 November at the Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally, where seasoned veteran Sean Devine goes head to head with new kid on the block, 22-year-old Conor McCloskey!

It has been a long, difficult year with numerous changes at the head of the championship leaderboard, but after nine (out of 10) events, the battle for the prestigious crown is going down to the wire. One month ago, it looked as though the title was swinging in Devine's favour, but a flurry of victories by Kilrea's McCloskey see the two drivers enter the final event on even terms!

Championship regulations state that competitors may discount their three lowest scores from their championship tally. Devine has three no-scores, while McCloskey has two. That puts McCloskey at the head of the standings but taking his lowest score of eight points into account, both men are equal!

The battle in the Sunoco Fuels Group N category will also be decided in County Antrim. Cathal Rogers heads the category but four other drivers - Alan Carmichael, Neil McCance, John Walker and Brian McFall - all have a chance of securing the honours.

Meanwhile, the Superdrive two-wheel drive category has already been sealed by James Kennedy but there are still plenty of class battles to be decided!

The event also sees a number of former N.I. Rally champions return to the fray, with Glengormley's Derek McGarrity (2002 champion) wheeling out his Subaru Impreza WRC. 1998 champion John McKeown starts the event at number four, and a bit further down the order, 1997 champion Sean Haveron starts at number seven.

The Townparks Glens of Antrim Rally provides a perfect setting for the season finale, with the Mid-Antrim Motor Club event switching from the forests to closed roads. Based from the Millennium Centre in Loughguile, the first car will leave at approximately 10am before tackling some classic rally territory, with 'Torr Head' and 'Glendun' among the famous stages.

Townparks Glens of Antrim - leading entries

1 Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (Subaru Impreza)
2 Conor McCloskey/Francis Regan (Subaru Impreza)
3 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Subaru Impreza)
4 John McKeown/Mandy McKeown (Ford Escort)
5 James Gillen/Martin McFall (Subaru Impreza)
6 Kieron Graffin/TBA (Subaru Impreza)
7 Sean Haveron/Vincent Fergus (Ford Escort)
8 Cathal Rodgers/Eoighan Rodgers (Mitsubishi Evo 9)
9 Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (Mitsubishi Evo 9)
10 Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont (Mitsubishi Evo 9)
11 John Walker/Dessie Wilson (Mitsubishi Evo 9)
12 Brian McFall/Ronnie Craig (Mitsubishi Evo 7)
14 Wesley Patterson/Ruth Guest (Ford Escort)
15 Adrian Hetherington/Gary Nolan (Ford Escort)
16 Damian Toner/Paddy McCague (Ford Escort)
17 Des Moore/Damian Connoll (Ford Escort)
18 Camillus Bradley/Danny O'Neill (Ford Escort)
19 Rodney White/Sorcha Kelly (Ford Escort)
20 James Kennedy/John Rowan (Ford Escort)

Championship Notes

- If Conor McCloskey retires, Sean Devine must finish fourth overall or higher to claim the title.
- If Sean Devine retires or finishes outside the top four overall, Conor wins the title regardless of where he finishes.

Conor McCloskey Mini Profile

Navigator: Francis Regan
Rally car: Ford Focus WRC/Subaru Impreza WRC
Road car: Left-hand drive Audi A3
Home town: Kilrea
Occupation: Sales
Birth date: 28 March 1986

How I started: "I became involved though my Dad, Brian. He was a competitor so I have been travelling to rallies since I was no age. I remember watching him but I tried to steer clear of the service area as I was scared of getting a job!"

Biggest accident: "I'll never forget what happened at the Wyedean Rally in 2005. We were using the event as a warm up to do the Evo Challenge and the car was brand new. About one mile into the second stage, we rolled and the car was wrecked."

Sean Devine Mini Profile

Navigator: Damien Duffin
Rally car: Subaru Impreza WRC
Road car: BMW 535 Sport
Home town: Strabane
Occupation: Developer
Birthday: 22 February

How I started: "I've always been interested in rallying but it wasn't until six or seven years ago when my wife bought me a voucher for Rally School Ireland that I really got the bug. My first event was the Dogleap Rally in a Mark 2 Escort but unfortunately the car broke down."

Biggest accident: "It happened at the Cork Forestry Rally a couple of years ago. I was driving my Group N Impreza and she rolled six or seven times. She was wrecked!"