Strong field headed by Maguire in Nationals

SEVERAL drivers, including four former national rally champions, are amongst the entry for Sunday’s Hotel Ballina/Kennedy Motors Mayo Rally that marks the beginning of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship. Triple National Rally champion Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC), who won in Ballina last year, heads the entries as he seeks to become the first driver to win four titles. Donegal’s Declan Boyle, a winner of the series in 2015, will be without his own Ford Fiesta WRC after crashing it in last month’s Galway International Rally. Instead, he will hire a similar model from DMG Motorsport (Derek McGarrity) in order to get his title bid of the ground. Fermanagh’s Garry Jennings (Subaru WRC) is also Ballina bound and he will set a strong pace. So too, will Warrenpoint’s Peadar Hurson, who won the national series way back in 1992. Campaigning the Subaru WRC that he drove to victory in last year’s Galway Summer Rally, Hurson could spring a surprise. Others in the mix are Tyrone’s Paddy McVeigh (Subaru WRC), Clonmel’s Roy White (Ford Fiesta WRC), Welshman Steve Wood, Maynooth’s Kevin Barrett and Tyrone’s Frank Wray, all in Subaru WRC’s and Londoner Michael O’Brien (Ford Fiesta WRC). The 2007 National Championship winner Aaron MacHale will drive a Skoda Fabia S2000. The leading Group N competitors are Mitsubishi drivers Donegal’s Trevor Bustard, Monaghan’s Shane Maguire, Tyrone’s Aidan Wray and Maynooth’s Paul Barrett (Subaru).