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.
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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.
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