A strong field of Ulster drivers will be heading for Cumbria to challenge the regular contenders in the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship which opens with the Carlisle based Pirelli International Rally which runs over two days (April 18/19^th. ) in the giant Kielder Forest complex.

Strongly tipped to be amongst the front runners is Lisburn’s Philip Morrow who will be driving as part of a two car Mitsubishi Motors UK team with last years Pirelli victor, Guy Wilkes. Philip will be hoping for a lot better luck than he experienced last year when he retired after just two stages with a holed sump.

Also using Mitsubishi Evo’s wil be two other “Young Guns”, Darren Gass from Draperstown and Belfast’ Jonathan Greer, both of whom have experience of the Kielder stages, Gass finished 16^th on last years Pirelli International in a Ford Fiesta, while Greer, also in a Fiesta, was 8^th on the supporting National Rally.

One crew who will be watched with interest will be Martin McKormack and Liam Moynihan from Draperstown, Martin really set the forests alight last year driving a Ford Escort Mk 2 in the British Historic Rally Championship,  in the course of which he won the Pirelli Historic Rally, which was the second round of the series, quite handsomely. The crew switch to the modern series this season and will debut a Citroen C2R2, a car which is new to this years British Championship.

Away from the main Pirelli International Rally, there is much Ulster interest in the supporting events with the evergreen Dessie Nutt sure to be amongst the front runners in the Pirelli Historic Rally, the Castlerock dentist is in his usual Porsche 9111 and will be partnered by Geraldine McBride from Bangor. Also featuring in this event is Drew Wylie from Monyreagh driving a Ford Escort.

The Pirelli National Rally, which runs over the second days stages  features a quartet of drivers competing in the Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy series with Kyle Orr (Dromore ),  Liam Regan (Belfast ) , Alistair Fisher (Omagh ), and Barry Greer ( Belfast ) all hoping to shine.  Also out on this event are Paul and Peter Ward from Claughy in a Subaru and Bob Riddles (Strabane ) driving an Escort Mk 2.