Family affair as Circuit is back

IT will be a family affair in this year's Circuit of Ireland.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Mar 2010, 12:01 BST
Updated 29th Mar 2010, 12:17 BST

The national rally, which is round three of the Hankook Northern Ireland championship, sees the return of Kenny McKinstry, the 2009 winner in his Subaru.

McKinstry is contesting the MSA UK national gravel championship this year but with the Circuit so close to his home base in Banbridge, the former Tarmac and NI champion couldn’t resist the temptation to take part again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He will be joined in the line-up by his daughter Emma, also in a Subaru Impreza.

And 21-year-old Stuart Biggerstaff, who has been the sensation of this year’s NI championship with second and third places on the first two rounds despite having only competed on one rally before the series began, will be there in the S9 Subaru usually driven by his dad Denis, a two-time NI champion.

A marathon 18 mile (29km) night-time stage will be the centrepiece of this year’s rally with thousands of fans expected to descend on Dundalk for the ceremonial start on Easter Saturday before the rally moves on to 15 stages in Counties Down, Armagh, Louth and Monaghan.

On Easter Saturday at 4pm the drivers will call into Solitude Park in Banbridge for a ‘regroup area’ that afternoon, allowing fans to mingle with the drivers. An 18-mile marathon night stage will also take place south of Banbridge of Saturday night.