Fans unite as top drivers battle it out

By JERRY WILLIAMS

Last updated at 22:21 14 November 2007


Ireland's biggest sporting event of the year will see up to 200,000 fans lining cross-border roads to see the best rally drivers battle it out in the world championship.

Rally Ireland, based at the coastal

town of Sligo, is the penultimate

round of a thrilling title chase

which sees Marcus Gronholm in a

Ford just four points ahead of

three-time consecutive champion

Sebastien Loeb of Citroen after 14

events, with only Rally GB to

complete the season.

Scroll down to read more:

Guy Wilks

It is the first-ever Irish event in

the world championship and Max

Mosley, president of motor sport's

governing body the FIA, will make

a trip to Stormont to watch the

rally kick off with a special stage

tonight through the castle grounds

at flat-out speeds.

Underlining the importance given

to the rally on both sides of the

border, the party with Mosley will

include Princess Anne, Northern

Ireland first minister Ian Paisley,

Republic of Ireland sports minister

Seamus Brennan and Northern

Ireland minister for culture Edwin

Poots.

Meanwhile, two talented young

British drivers hope to use Rally Ireland as a platform to fire up

their stalled careers.

Only two years ago Guy Wilks and

Kris Meeke were impressing in the

Junior World Championship.

Suzuki then cut back their junior

programme and didn't keep on

26-year-old Wilks from Darlington.

Virtually the same circumstances

at Citroen put paid to Ulsterman

Meeke, 28.

Both were ready for World Rally

Championship level but with only

three drivers now paid, youngsters

have to buy into a team and Britain

is a sponsorship desert.

So without

families able to spend more than

£1million financing a single season

Meeke and Wilks were stuck.

Meeke has since excelled at a

one-off drive in Subarus and has a

testing role with Citroen, while

Wilks put together a brave world

championship effort with help from

Mobil, but a dated car didn't really

get him anywhere.

In Ireland, however, they will be

in new Subarus prepared by local

firms and tuned for the bumpy and

slippery lanes. Both are capable of

a top 10 performance.

Meeke, who has spent several days

giving all his sponsors high-speed

rides as a thankyou, said: "Ireland's

been mad on rallying for 30 years

and to have a round of the world

championship here is amazing.

"I'm not going to start off slowly

and not Mad Max. If I feel comfortable,

I'll go for it. A top eight

finish and a world championship

point would be fantastic."

Wilks added: "I've got to look at a

top 10. Like Kris, I'm on Pirelli

tyres which may be a trump card,

especially if it's wet."

While the single-track lanes will

be filled with the growl of 140mph

rally cars, the air will be thick with

helicopters.

A total of 60 are registered for the

rally and will be buzzing between

50 landing spots either side of the

border.