CLONAKILTY’S Cal McCarthy will use Saturday's Race & Rally Stages at the Bishopscourt Race Circuit (County Down) as a shakedown ahead of the upcoming Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally.
For the past two seasons McCarthy and his Rosscarbery co-driver Eric Calnan have utilised this event as a shakedown. The eight-stage encounter marks the start of the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship.
Belfast's Jonny Greer is the defending champion and is set to debut a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 as the top seed. Opposition is provided by Donegal's Aaron McLaughlin and Warrenpoint's Peadar Hurson, both in VW Polo GTi R5's.
McCarthy (Citroen C3 Rally2) is seeded at number eight. Last year he posted a pair of top ten times and will be hoping to repeat the process again.
‘It's seat time really, the stages are so well known by the locals it's virtually a racing track. By the time you get competitive, which is usually on the third stage, they (top competitors) are too far ahead at that point. However, there are pacenotes this year (on a trial basis) and that might level things up a bit,’ McCarthy explained.
‘The car is now in its latest evolution. Over the last few years we had some breakages in the intercooler and radiator so those changes should make for an improvement.’
On the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally he added, ‘It's the one Tarmac Championship round in the country that I am looking forward to and hopefully, this year, it will be dry for a change.’
