The Motor Mall (IoM) Manx Rally Championship has suffered a second event cancellation in the opening three rounds, reports Chris Boyde.

This August’s Summer Stages Rally has been scrapped by organisers Druidale Motor Club because of a shortage of entries.

Manx Auto Sport’s Haydn Minay Memorial Stages was set to be the series opener in March but was lost for the same reason.

Both were to have been gravel-based events.

The organising clubs of each event re-instated them in 2017 after several years without off-road stage action in the island, and the loss of both will force the clubs to reconsider future plans.

The Manx Championship will now be made up of three closed-roads asphalt events, May’s Manx National Rally, September’s Rally Isle of Man (a double-header) and November’s PokerStars Rally.

l Druidale Motor Club founder member and long-time club president, Selwyn Pye, died on July 4 aged 87.

Condolences to all of his family, including son Greg who is a regular competitor in local events.

Selwyn’s funeral service will take place at 2pm on Thursday, July 19 at Douglas Borough Crematorium.