Round four of the Hankook MSA N.I. Stage Rally Championship moves to the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains this Saturday for the KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Rally!
 
Headquarters are once again located at Maghera's Walsh's Hotel but there are some changes afoot for the Magherafelt and District Motor Club event.
 
The stages have moved to the lanes of Davagh forest, which is situated approximately 10 miles northwest of Cookstown. The tree-lined tarmac is not for the faint-hearted, and almost 70 crews will tackle five stages in the challenging complex.
 
Derek McGarrity, a former Northern Ireland and Irish Tarmac champion, heads the entry list in his Subaru Impreza WRC. He also heads the championship standings after winning the opening two rounds of this year's series, but after missing round three, his advantage was slashed to just five points.
 
Kenny McKinstry and Denis Biggerstaff currently share second position, so it's appropriate that these two drivers, who are also former champions, complete the top three seeds for this Saturday's rally. McKinstry, winner of the Larsen Circuit of Ireland National B rally, will start the event at number two ahead of Dromara's Biggerstaff.
 
There's one notable name missing from this Saturday's event. Seamus Leonard, who currently lies fifth in the series standings, has decided to "pull the pin" on his Hankook Championship campaign. The Omagh driver has been plagued with mechanical problems of late, so instead he has decided to concentrate on supporting his two sons, Declan and Dara Leonard.
 
With Leonard out of action, a trio of Group N drivers follow Biggerstaff with Cookstown's John McGlaughlin heading the Sunoco Fuels sponsored category. Navigated by Crawford Henderson, the crew will have plenty of opposition to contend with this weekend, not least from Neil McCance and Kieron Graffin.
 
Emma McKinstry and Kenny Hull start at number seven, and the Banbridge youngster will be hoping to put her Easter disappointment behind her. She was on course for an excellent result at the Circuit of Ireland, only for a minor indiscretion during the final day resulting in her retirement.
 
Englishman Ray Brammer makes a welcome return to the series after missing round three. Navigated by Matthew Whattam, the crew start at number eight in their Impreza WRC, while Group N drivers, Mark Massey and Raymond Johnston, complete the top 10 seeds.
 
There is also a large contingent of Superdrive 2WD contenders, with Draperstown's Camillus Bradley heading the entry. Declan McNaughton and Trevor Moore are among those that will be aiming to stop Bradley in his tracks.
 
The Montgomery Motorsport historic category continues to attract a small but high quality selection of crews to the Hankook series. Philip Hunter returns to action with his Escort, while Alan Jardine and Derek Boyd will be hot on his heels in Davagh.
 
The KBB Tour of the Sperrins starts at approximately 9am on Saturday morning from Walsh's Hotel, Maghera, while service will be located at Meteor Electrical, Drum Road, Cookstown. After crews tackle all five stages, they will return to Walsh's Hotel for the champagne finish at approximately 5pm. More information can be found online at www.tourofthesperrins.com and www.nirally.com.

KBB Doors Tour of the Sperrins Rally - top 10 entries
 
1 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Impreza WRC)
2 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC)
3 Denis Biggerstaff/Damian McCann (Impreza WRC)
4 John McGlaughlin/Crawford Henderson (Lancer Evo 9)
5 Neil McCance/TBA (Lancer Evo 9)
6 Kieron Graffin/Neil Doherty (Lancer Evo 9)
7 Emma McKinstry/Kenny Hull (Impreza WRC)
8 Ray Brammer/Matthew Whattam (Impreza WRC)
9 Mark Massey/Andrew McVeigh (Lancer Evo)
10 Raymond Johnston/TBA (Lancer Evo 9)