THERE’S a bumper entry for this weekend’s PokerStars Rally, consisting of approximately 100 miles of high-speed motoring on closed roads.
The Manx Auto Sport-organised event forms the latest round of the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship but is also a counter in the UK-based Association of North Western Car Club’s series.
It is based in the north-west of the island on Friday evening with stages in the Andreas, St Jude’s and Tholt-y-Will/Druidale areas, with service at Jurby.
Saturday’s action includes The Garth, Brack-a-Broom and The Baldwins, with service at the TT Grandstand.
Nigel and Michaela Cannell head the field away at No1 in their Mitsubishi Evo IX, but they will have stiff opposition from visiting driver John Cope with Kirk Michael’s Rob Fagg in the Subaru Impreza WRC, back-for-more George Collister and Steve Luton (Evo III), Andrew Leece/Graham Fargher (Evo VI) and Sean Kelly/Emma Kennaugh (Evo VII).
Other leading crews include Timmy Collins/Paul McCann (Evo VI), Martyn Jones/David Radcliffe (Nova), Connor Corkill/Mark Perryman (RS1800) and Dave Corris/Caz McEvoy (Escort WRC).
The event is being filmed for Motors TV, to be screened on August 15.
Stage schedule - Friday evening: Special Stages 1 and 4 – Andreas, 3.2 miles (road closing times 6.40 – 11.15pm); SS 2/5 – St Jude’s, 12.8 miles (6.50 – 11.23pm); SS 3/6 – The Mountain, 13.75 miles (7.10 – 11.59pm). Saturday: SS 7/10 – The Garth, 7.95 miles (9.45am – 2pm); SS 8/11 Brack-a-Broom, 4.65 miles (10am – 2.15pm); SS 9/12 The Baldwins, 10.94 miles (10.10am – 2.25pm).
PokerStars Rally entry list: 1, Nigel and Michaela Cannell (Mitsubishi Evo 9); 2, John Cope/Rob Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRC); 3, George Collister/Steve Luton (Evo 3); 4, Andrew Leece/Graham Fargher (Evo 6); 5, Sean Kelly/Emma Kennaugh (Evo 7); 6, Martyn Jones/David Radcliffe (Vauxhall Nova GSi); 7, Connor Corkill/Mark Perryman (Escort RS 1800); 8, Dave Corris/Caz McEvoy (Escort WRC); 9, Timmy Collins/Paul McCann (Evo 6); 10, Kex Walker/Danni Matthews (BMW 325); 11, Rob Ellison/Leigh Jones (Evo 7); 12, John Kirkpatrick/Martyn Quine (Sunbeam Lotus); 14, Adrian Kermode/Maurice Beckett (Porsche 911); 15, Andrew Holmes/Stephen Fox (Astra); 16, James Quirk/Ed Kennaugh (Vauxhall Corsa); 17, John Richardson/Eric Wilcockson (Escort Mkll); 18, Stu Bainborough/Chris Heyes (Nova); 19, Kevin Vondy/Sarah Fargher (Corsa); 20, Ian Chadwick/Johnnie Bould (Honda Civic); 21, Guy Simpkiss/Debbie Perry (Astra); 22, Kevin Jeffray/TBA (Subaru Legacy); 23, Peppe Planeta/TBA (Ford Fiesta WRC); 24, Paul McEvoy/Michael McEvoy (Escort); 25, Walter Bridson/Stephen Christian (Corsa); 26, Richard Barnard/Seb Turner (Impreza); 27, David Jones/Andrew Cowley (Nova); 28, Jack Faragher/Martin Burns (Nova); 29, Kevin Charles/Anthony Jeavons (Fiesta ST); 30, Shaun Tomlinson/Chris Sanderson (Satria R4); 31, Tim Healy/Rob Jackson (Astra); 32, Tom and Manda Shimmin (Ford Cortina); 33, Terry Phillips/Ian Notman (VW Golf Gti); 34, Greg Pye/Ken Cottee (Seat Ibeza); 35, Janice Brew/Robert Knighton (Astra); 36, Boosh Kerruish/Mark Bumfrey (Peugeot 205); 37, Nigel and Jessica Quirk (Escort RS2000); 38, Grant Leece/Nick Pledger (Astra).