There will be no fewer than three World Rally Cars contesting the M.E. Crowe Northern Ireland Rally Championship 2002.  The Cars range from Subaru Imprezza WRC's, Ford Escort WRC's and maybe a Toyota Corolla WRC-from the David Greer Motorsport stable. Not forgetting the rapid grp.N flyers in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6's and latest spec- Subaru Imprezza..AND SOME SURPRISE NEWCOMERS....

Owen Lamont WILL challenge for the title in his GEM backed rhd-Subaru Imprezza WRC (which won the 1999 RAC with Colin Mc Rae at the wheel) .  Richard Hall has recently finished building an Escort WRC -the former Toshiba Rally winner will be contesting this years championship.1995 Champion -George Robinson will also battle for the title in his Escort Cosworth,whilst former Championship sponsor-Fintan McGrady has almost completed a deal for a new car.Woodland Furniture supremo,Kieran Shaw will wheel out his Escort WRC.And 2001 runners-up-Trevor Moore and Gary White have rebuilt their Escort Cosworths for another shot at the title.

It is unlikely that 2001 Grp.N champion Mark Woodside will defend his crown...leaving the battle for the showroom category to multiple Grp.N Champ-Raymond Mason(Impreza) and Raymond Johnston(EVO.6) to name a few.

Denis Biggerstaff(with his fully rebuilt Metro 6R4-complete with new engine and sequential gearbox and new livery-similar to the 'works' Computervision cars) will have a hard task to hold onto his N.I.Champions title. A main contender is sure to be Eugene Donnelly in his 2000 N.I.Championship winning(ex-Robin Phillips) Toyota Celica ST185. And another Metro 6R4 is due to hit the Championship stages (prepared by Denis Biggerstaff) in the hands of southerner-Danny Mc Ginley.

The M.E. Crowe Northern Ireland series consists of 5 forestry rallies (Sperrins,Dogleap,Lakelands,Bushwacker and, Toshiba) and 4 tarmac events. The tarmac rallies include Kirkistown, Bishopscourt(both on tracks), the 'closed-roads' of the Easter Stages in the Clogher Valley and  the Slieve Gullion forest- drives based-Mourne rally ,which will also utilise the daunting Cooley Mountain stage between Newry and Dundalk(courtesy of Motorsports Ireland)

Coupled with the rapid championship regulars..in the various classes..Mark II Escort RS...Sunbeams...Astras...Corsas...106 Peugeots ....Pumas.. and the growing interest from lady-drivers and , the under-25's battle for the junior title -- 2002 promises to be an epic year.

Stand well back in trees...this year is going to be exhilarating......!!

FACT FILE:  Did you know that the current format N.I. Rally Championship was                  born in 1987 and based loosely on the loose-sprint                                          championship which ran from 1977 to1981.                               

............Kenny Mc Kinstry won the series 2 years in succession -88,89.

            'Swervy' Mervyn Hill matched Kenny's record by taking the laurels in 

            1990-1991-1992.  

            1993 + 1994 were the 'Opel Manta 400 years... Stevie Emerson the 

            victor  in the 'green' Opel' 93,whilst an adversary Stephen 

            Mawhinney took the laurels with his ex-Russell Brookes 400 in '94.

            George Robinson (rwd Escort Cosworth) was victor in 1995.

            Stephen Harron( Subaru Legacy) finished '96 as Champion.

            Sean Haveron (Sierra Cosworth ). Stormed to the '97 win. 

            Another Sierra driver -John McKeown secured the '98 crown.

            Robin Phillips(Celica ST185) just pipped Biggerstaff in 2000.

            The current champion(2001)-Denis Biggerstaff (Metro 6R4) also won 

            the series in 1999. Denis will defend his title in 2002.

                      ...........................................................

            The last 1600cc Car to finish in the top three of a championship rally  

            was a Talbot Sunbeam driven by Raymond Mason ,on the 95 Toshiba. 

                     .............................................................

            2000 saw the introduction of the 'beginners championship' - A feeder

            series for the main Northern Ireland Championship.

                    ...............................................................

            The 2001 N.I Rally Championships ,though shortened, survived the F.&M.

            epidemic which swept the U.K.- Few other series survived. 

                   ................................................................

            There was no Championship during years 1982 to 1987 inclusive.

                   ................................................................

                                   Past Champion's.  

               1977    Ronnie McCartney

               1978    Robin Lyons

               1979    Ernest Kidney

               1980    Ronnie McCartney

               1981    Robin Lyons

               1982    }

               1983    }

               1984    }       NO

               1985    }       Championship.

               1986    }

               1987    }

               1988    Kenny McKinstry

               1989    Kenny McKinstry

               1990    Mervyn Hill

               1991    Mervyn Hill

               1992    Mervyn Hill

               1993    Stephen Emerson

               1994    Stephen Mawhinney

               1995    George Robinson

               1996    Stephen Harron

               1997    Sean Haveron

               1998    John McKeown

               1999    Denis Biggerstaff

               2000    Robin Phillips

               2001    Denis Biggerstaff

         ( More Facts & stories from the Championship throughout the season)

           Chris Mc Sherry. 09-02-2002.