At least half a dozen of the 104 crews participating in this weekend’s PokerStars Rally will be quietly confident of winning it.

With top seeds Daniel Harper and Chris Campbell being forced to withdraw after damaging their Mini WRC on the recent Cheviot Rally, Paul MacKinnon from the Isle of Mull will lead the field away on Friday evening.

He has contested the event twice before, finishing runner-up each time, including 2017. This year he has Kirk Michael’s Rob Fagg alongside reading the pace notes in a Ford Fiesta R5.

Top local all-rounder, Andrew Dudgeon (Mitsubishi Evo 6.5), will limber up for his Macau Grand Prix motorcycle road race debut on a high.

Unlike most home crews, he and Joe Dooley have had a recent run out, finishing a fine 11th overall in on the Clare Stages in Ireland in September.

Welshman Jamie Jukes is back once again to try to beat his Manx hoodoo.

There’s no doubt he has the pace to win in the Mitsubishi Mirage R5, but he has crashed out of each on his last four visits to the island - three of those while holding a podium place.

John Indri of Essex has a second run in the Spencer Sport Mirage after the Manx National Rally in May.

Tony Bardy brings his ex-Carlos Sainz Ford Focus WRC to the event and MSA Asphalt Championship runner-up, Wayne Sisson, is rapid in his Mitsubishi Evo X.

Jason Pritchard’s father Eian, no slouch himself, is set to take the wheel of the Ford Focus WRC with which his son has won the Manx National no fewer than four times.

Other leading locals include the Mitsubishis of Sean Kelly and Gary Leece, the Subaru of Timmy Collins and the two wheel-drive cars of Kex Walker (BMW) and Martyn Jones (Vauxhall Nova).

l There is a shake down stage on Friday lunchtime (11am-2.30pm) at Dog Kennels/Barroose and Creg-ny-Baa back road.

PokerStars Rally schedule (first car due times) Friday - MC1 Jurby 6.01pm; Special Stage 1 - Little London 1 (6.92 miles) 6.24; SS2 Arrasey 1 (6.02 miles) 6.54; SS3 Brack-a-Broom 1 (5.51 miles) 7.19; SA1 Jurby 7.47; SS4 Little London 2 8.40; SS5 Arrasey 2 9.10; SS6 Brack-a-Broom 2 9.35; MC2 Jurby 10.03.

Saturday - MC3 Jurby 9.41am; SS7 The Lhen 1 (7.25 miles) 9.56; SS8 Dog Mills 1 (5.46 miles) 10.15; SS9 Orrisdale 1 (7.78 miles) 10.36; SA2 Jurby 10.49; SS10 The Lhen 2 11.49; SS11 Dog Mills 212.08pm; SS12 Orrisdale 2 12.29; SA3 Jurby 12.42; SS13 The Lhen 3 1.42pm; SS14 Dog Mills 3 2.01; SS15 Orrisdale 3 2.22; MC4 Jurby 2.35.

l Full entry list on page 62.