MacHale takes lead role for start of Circuit of Ireland

MOTOR SPORT:  GARETH MacHALE leads Mark Higgins and the rest of the entry off the Circuit of Ireland starting ramp at 12pm today from Newcastle, Co Down. This event is round two of the Global Tarmac Championship run over three days with some challenging stages in the Mourne Mountains.

Tim McNulty in a Subaru WRC is expected to mount the biggest challenge to MacHale in a Ford Focus WRC and recent Galway winner Higgins in a Subaru WRC.

Eamonn Boland (Subaru) is seeded four in front of Aaron MacHale (Focus WRC) and Derek McGarrity (Subaru). Seventh seed Peadar Hurson has withdrawn as his Subaru is not ready, Denis Biggerstaff in a Subaru is eighth.

The Limerick Motor Club's Tommy White Memorial Rally run out of Adare on Easter Sunday is round three of the Hankook National Forestry Stages Championship, which is jointly led by Waterford drivers Andrew Purcell and veteran National Tarmac champion Ray Breen.

The Easter Monday Mondello races open the season's schedule of 10-car race meetings at the Co Kildare circuit, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in May.

Ollie O'Donovan (Limerick) and Dermot Carnegie (Dublin) are top contenders for this year's British Rallycross Championship run over seven rounds from Easter Monday's opener at Lydden in Kent to the final at Mondello Park on October 14th.Reigning champion O'Donovan starts the campaign in his championship-winning Peugeot 306 but with a new sponsor in the frame he expects to have a more powerful supercar soon.

Niall Quinn (Dunboyne) clinched a deal on Wednesday to contest the National Class of the British International Formula Three Championship with Team Loctite, starting at Oulton Park, Cheshire on Easter Monday.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

Today: UAC, Circuit of Ireland, starts Newcastle, Co Down, 12pm. Tomorrow: Circuit of Oreland restarts Newcastle, 7am.

Sunday: Circuit of Ireland, restarts Newcastle, 8am. Limerick MC, Tommy White Memorial Forestry Rally, starts Adare, Co Limerick, 9am; Munster CC, 4x4 Trial, Granasig, Kilbrittain, Co Cork, 11am.

Monday: Leinster MC, Motor Racing, Mondello Park, 11.40am.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times