Rathfriland Motor Club Ltd has published Supplementary Regulations, Entry Form and Rally Guide 1 for the forthcoming FM Contracts Down Rally 2008.

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 2008, 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 after a successful experiment in ‘07.

“The 2007 event used the Tollymore Forest complex for the first time since the early 1970’s” commented Clerk of the Course, Andy Gilmore. 

“We only had the use of Tollymore until lunchtime, so that dictated the whole event schedule. This year we have the venue for the whole day, so we now have designed a route with a better balance between road and stage miles. We also have a better range of roads available to us and we will be able to vary the route in the years ahead”.  

Another new initiative for 2008 will be the ‘Finishers Award’ for everyone who makes it back to the Castlewellan finish.

“Having rallied for many years, I know the highs and lows of the sport and I feel it is important that everyone who finishes the Down Rally this year will go home with a memento from the event” said FM Contract’s Frank McMullan.

Supplementary Regulations and an Entry form will be available shortly on the event website, www.downrally.com  and at the Pacenotes NI Championship website, www.nirally.com. A copy of Rally Guide 1 can also be downloaded which will give you all the information you will need if you intend to enter the event.

“After the positive feedback from last year’s event, especially about the quality and condition of the Tollymore stage, we are looking forward to another successful year.

We would also like to see a few more competitors from the Southern Forestry Championship join us now that the Euro rate is more favourable. That would truly make the event an all Ireland affair” 

Places are limited to 80 crews, and the entries will close on Saturday 11th October, so get your entry form in early.