The Manx Auto Sport-organised Masterpixel Media Manx National Rally has now received 120 entries – the biggest and best entry for over 10 years, with more than two weeks to go before entries close.
The chance to compete on such classic asphalt stages and follow in the wheel tracks of McRae, Vatanen, Pond and Mikkola remains a fantastic attraction and challenge – and this year’s 135 stage mile route (which has less than 100 road miles in total) will certainly honour that tradition.
The opening day of competition on Friday (10 May) afternoon – Round 2 of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship – will contain two loops of four stages.
The action will begin on Druidale (7 miles), with a stage start on Brandywell Road, just off the TT Course. It then joins the epic Druidale stage at Brandywell Cottage, for what is an iconic Isle of Man test.
The Cronk (8 miles) follows, which takes in a variety of good metalled roads around The Curraghs area, before using Cronk and the Orrisdale loop road to the finish.
Staarvey (5.5 miles) is next, which starts on the Peel Coast Road and heads down to Lhergudhoo Farm and the infamous jump over the railway bridge. The stage continues along Switchback and its many flat-out jumps before finishing on the Staarvey and the jump made famous by Ari Vatanen.
The final stage is Baldwins (11.5 miles), which starts at Little London and heads to Sartfield hairpin, before continuing along the Brandywell jumps and down to West Baldwin. It finishes with a flourish along East Baldwin, Ballaoates hairpin and Abbeylands jumps.
The above loop will be repeated in darkness, before Friday’s 64 stage miles are completed and Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship points are awarded.
The event continues on Day 2 on Saturday (11 May), when all eight stages (69.4 stage miles) will be run in daylight. The day’s action will also count as Round 3 of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.
The day’s opening pair of stages are two looped runs around Keristal (4 miles), which is on the old Castletown road.
St Marks (13.7 miles) is the longest stage of the event. Starting at the Braaid/Garth/Red Lion crossroads, the stage goes through Mulinaragher and St Marks villages before heading to Eairy Dam and Lhoobs Road, finishing at the bottom of The Hope.
Roundtable (13.5 miles) starts at the bottom of Slieau Whallian and goes up to Garey and Roundtable Road, before taking in the Ronague hairpin, Corlea Road, Grenaby Road and finishing at Ballabeg.
The final stage of the loop is Balladoole (3.5 miles), which starts at Colby and follows the shoreline to Balladoole. It finishes on the Southern 100 Course’s start/finish straight, outside Castletown. This is immediately repeated, before heading back off to the Grandstand for service.
The rally also consists of an emergency tyre fitting service on the Friday night, between SS2 and 3, and also an emergency service at St John’s between SS11 and 12 on Saturday – in addition to the main Grandstand service halts.
Entries close on 28 April, and Entry Form are available here.
Manx Auto Sport is paying up to 40% of the cost of travel and accommodation for any marshals willing to come and help. The event already has marshals travelling from as far afield as Norwich, Mull, Northern Ireland, Lancashire and Wales and anyone interested should contact the event organisers here.