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RALLY: Star-Studded Entry Promised for Statoil Galway International

14 January 1999

Galway Motor Club has confirmed a star-studded entry for the Statoil Galway International car rally scheduled to take place on the earlier weekend of February 5th/6th/7th, 1999. Last year's winner Austin McHale is expected to contest his trusty Toyota Celica GT4 against the Ford Escort WRCs of Eamonn Boland from Wexford and the Statoil-backed Stephen Murphy from Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.

The many Subarus will include a Prodrive-prepared Impreza for Bertie Fisher. The 1980 and 1982 winner Jimmy McRae will again have a four wheel drive Porsche 911. His 30-year-old former world champion son Colin McRae, from Lanark, Scotland this weekend marks the first appearance of the new Ford Focus World Rally Car with Nicky Grist.

This will be the sixth year of Statoil's sponsorship of the first round of the Toshiba Equium Irish Rally Championship, which will again feature a 'rolling loop' system of stages for 1999. The event will be held over the first weekend in February 1999. Entries are already reaching 100 mark, and close on next Monday, January 18th.

The competition will start from Eyre Square in the heart of Galway on Saturday morning, February 6th. That day the competitors will cover nine stages near Tuam in north Co Galway before returning to Galway for an overnight halt.

The Sunday restart has been brought forward, with service on the coast road between Oranmore and Galway from 9.40am, prior to tackling the famous Dyke Road spectator stage in the heart of Galway city. After that it is south towards Gort for eight more stages, and the first car is due back to Eyre Square finish arch on Sunday evening at 5.30pm.

Accommodation enquiries should be directed to Ireland West Tourism, Aras Failte, Victoria Place, Galway, Tel. 00 353 91-567673/563081, Fax 00 353 91-565201, email: user@western-tourism.ie. The event kick-starts the IR221 millions plus tourism season in the west of Ireland, and is estimated to generate over IR3millions during the first weekend in February.