The 2017 Valvoline Motorsport Ireland National Forest Rally Championship gets underway this Sunday for the Carrick on Suir Motor Club’s Willie Loughman Memorial Forest Rally.

Six special stages in the scenic Suir Valley lie in wait for the eager crews, with a real sting in the tail this year, a twenty-two kilometre forest test, which will be run twice in the afternoon, making a formidable eighty kilometre forest feast!

Former British Rally Champion-Keith Cronin is at number one in a new R5 Ford Fiesta. Former British Junior Champion Marty McCormack in his R5 Skoda Fabia is seeded second and is also testing before a British Rally Championship campaign. Behind them is former Valvoline Forest Rally Champion and Billy Coleman Award Winner Josh Moffett, also in an R5 Fiesta.

Another former Irish Forest Rally Champion, Mick O’Brien in his WRC Fiesta, Tyrone’s Niall McCullagh in an S14 WRC Subaru Impreza, and yet another former forestry champion Pat O’Connell in his familiar Mitsubishi Evo 9 make up the top six.

The Valvoline two-wheel drive battle was an intense one last season and reigning champion Shane McGirr with his trusty Toyota Starlet will be the hot favourite once again.

Another new innovation for 2017 is the introduction of the M. O’Brien Plant Hire Junior 1000 class for 16-18 year olds. As with any new series it will take an event or two to build up and this first round is very much a trial event with local lad Alex Byrne, part of the Carrick on Suir Motor Club Youth Academy programme in a Peugeot 107 and Jason Murphy in a similar C-Sport run car backed by Westyre is the second.