Rathfriland Motor Club Ltd has just published stage maps on the event website, www.downrally.com for the 2008 event.

The event, which will be the penultimate round of the MSA Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship, will again be based in Castlewellan County Down with 7 gravel stages scattered around the South Down area to test the best drivers in the land.

Last years event was won by Richard Cathcart and Martin Brady in a production category Subaru Impreza, after a thrilling battle against the WRC machinery of Sean Devine & Glenn Allen. Richard and Martin’s victory was only the second time that a production car has won a round of the NI series.  

For the 2008 event, several improvements and initiatives have been introduced to the event format, including the running of classes 1, 3 & 4 ahead of the main field, ensuring that the crews experience the best possible conditions in the lower powered cars.

The organisers have also been able to trim back the overall road mileage for ’08 and the introduction of the ‘Finishers Award’ for everyone who makes it back to the Castlewellan finish.

Also new for 2008 (and the NI Championship) is the publication of Rally Guide 1, which will give you all the background information needed for the event and the local area.

The Supplementary Regulations, Entry form and Rally Guide 1 are all available on the event web site, www.downrally.com along with any other documents that may be required on the event.

Regulations, Entry Form and the Rally Guide can also be accessed from the Pacenotes Championship web site, www.nirally.com.  

Places are limited to 80 crews, and the entries will officially close on Saturday 11th October.