Down Rally fills quickly, stuns organisers

Organisers of next month’s Down Rally have said the interest shown towards the closed-road event by competitors based on either side of the Irish Sea has “surpassed their expectations”.

Within just 20 minutes of entries officially opening for the fourth round of the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, more than half the available spaces for the competition were taken.

Some of the leading names to appear on the unseeded entry list include Desi Henry and David Bogie in a brace of Skoda Fabia R5s, Northern Ireland Rally champion Kenny Mckinstry, and rising talent Amy Cox.

As expected, Jason Pritchard, Melvyn Evans and Damian Cole – the top three Asphalt Rally Championship title contenders – are making the trip from the Mainland.

“We obviously hoped for a top quality entry, but it really has surprised us; we didn’t ever expect this. It has surpassed our expectations,” said deputy clerk of the course, Brian Crawford.

“We have local crews from here in Northern Ireland and Ireland doing the rally. We also have crews travelling from England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. There’s even competitors making the trip from Jersey and France. Think about that: that isn’t just jumping on one ferry with a van and trailer. That takes a fair amount of effort and preparation. We did our best to try and come up with a format that would please competitors, so it is quite satisfying as we watch the entries coming in.”

Taking place on Saturday, July 21, the new-for-2018 event will feature four special stages with these run three times. The total competitive mileage also incorporates a spectator friendly special stage within the confines of the Eikon Exhibition Centre where rally HQ and the service park is to be based.