The entry list for this year’s RBS International Manx Rally is possibly one of the strongest ever assembled, not only in terms of quality but also in quantity, since it first took to the closed public roads on the Isle of Man back in 1980. Times may be hard, but the notion that this rally has become one of the most popular in the UK calendar is amply borne out by a glance at the names of those crews who will be lining up in Port Erin for the start of the first leg at 7.00pm on Friday 9th May.

As a qualifying round of both the Richard Egger Insurance MSA Asphalt & Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championships, it is not unreasonable to expect all the leading contenders from each to be present but, in addition, the 120-strong list is littered with the names of others who are there purely because they want to be!

Having arrived back at the TT Grandstand to take their record-breaking fifth victory on the event in 2007, KENNY McKINSTRY/NOEL ORR (Subaru Impreza WRC) will be first to tackle the five stages on the Friday evening, ahead of former National Champions ROGER DUCKWORTH/MARK BROOMFIELD in another Impreza. Neither crew is contesting a full Championship this year, rather they have chosen to contest the events that they enjoy!…

2002 Manx winner MELVYN EVANS and co-driver SEAN MULLALLY set out on their MSA Asphalt Championship campaign, while JON INGRAM/IAN ALLSOP will be looking to consolidate their position at the head of the MSA Gravel Championship points table after the first two rounds.

Making it an Impreza Top 5 in their S12B, front-running Irishmen TIM McNULTY/ EUGENE O’DONNELL will be starting in front of the Hyundai Accent WRC of defending Gravel Champions MARCUS DODD/ANDREW BARGERY.        

Local interest will be focussed on the Vauxhall Nova of ROB WATSON/BRUCE CRAIG while, right behind them, JOHN COPE will have Kirk Michael co-driver ROB FAGG reading the route notes in his Subaru Impreza.

1 Kenny McKinstry Noel Orr Subaru Impreza  
2 Roger Duckworth Mark Broomfield Subaru Impreza WRC  
3 Melvyn Evans Sean Mullally Subaru Impreza WRC S11  
4 Jon Ingram Ian Allsop Subaru WRC  
5 Tim McNulty Eugene O'DonnellSubaru S12 B  
6 Marcus Dodd Andrew Bargery Hyundai Accent WRC  
7 Stephen Moore Tony McHugh Ford Focus 06  
8 David Mann Alun Cook Subaru Impreza  
9 Julian Reynolds Patrick Walsh Subaru Impreza WRC  
10 Steve Perez Howard Davies Ford Focus WRC  
11 David Kynaston Andy Russell Audi A3 quattro  
12 Steve Fleck Nigel Gardner Subaru WRC  
14 John Price Caroline Price MG Metro 6R4  
15 Rob Watson Bruce Craig Vauxhall Nova   
16 John Cope Robert Fagg Subaru Impreza  
17 Neil McCance Graham Hopewell Mitsubishi Evo 9  
18 David Bogie Kevin Rae Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9  
19 Mark Jasper Don Whyatt MG Metro 6R4  
20 Stephen Petch Michael Wilkinson Hyundai Accent WRC