A bumper 150-car entry is set to tackle the Manx National Rally over the next two days (Friday/Saturday), writes Chris Boyd. The event is a round of several major championships, including the Protyre Motorsport UK National Asphalt Rally Championship, Fuchs Lubricants Motorsport UK British Historic Rally Championship and Manx Rally Championship. Last year’s winners, Brackley’s Callum Black and co-driver Jack Morton (Ford Fiesta Rally2) will lead the action away on Friday morning, Stiff opposition will come from former winners, Neil Roskell and Hugh Hunter, both also in Fiestas. Hunter has top local co-driver Rob Fagg alongside and the pair are on the comeback after a serious crash on the final stage 12 months ago. Despite relative inexperience of the Manx stages, the pre-event favourite is Welsh driver James Williams (Hyundai i20 Rally 2), while Mark Kelly (Skoda Fabia R5) and Steve Wood (Citroen C3 Rally2) both have recent podium finishes here behind them. A strong historic entry is headlined by Mark Higgins making a return to his home stages in a TR7 V8, in period specification from the David Appleby Engineering team. Other locals to watch out for include Steve Ormond-Smith (Mitsubishi Evo IX), Gary Leece making a first start with a four-wheel-drive Skoda Fabia and Andew Dudgeon (Evo IV).
Rory McCann (Honda Civic) will face tough opposition in the two-wheel drive categories from Northern Irish brothers Marty (Proton S2500) and Damian Toner (Ford Escort). The action begins with shakedown at Keristal/Oatlands from 10am tomorrow (Friday), with the event proper starting at 11.15am from the TT Grandstand for two stages at Pooil Vaaish near Castletown, then Eairy and Injebreck. Friday evening’s leg begins at 6.30pm and takes in Keristal, Balladoole, Ellerslie and Little London. An 8.30am start on Saturday heads to six more stages, a loop of Switchback, St Jude’s and the Baldwins run in the morning and again in the afternoon before a 2.30pm finish back at the TT Grandstand.
For the full schedule, see page ???