After a two-year hiatus, the popular Manx Rally makes a welcome return this weekend.

A pre-event shakedown is taking place this morning (Friday) at Barroose, after which around 70 crews will head out from the TT Grandstand at 6pm for the first six of a combined total of 14 stages and 100 stage miles.

Friday’s tests include Little London, Tholt-y-Will and the Baldwins before the first service.

Those tests will then be repeated in full darkness, including the longest stage of the event, Druidale at almost 19km. Competitors will enter parc ferme at around midnight for the overnight halt.

Saturday will kick off at 9am and offers four more tests repeated before the ceremonial finish and Champagne celebrations take place at the Grandstand podium from around 4.45pm.

Five-time Manx Rally winner Jason Pritchard leads the field away in his Ford Focus WRC with co-driver Phil Clarke alongside, and they are the undoubted pre-event favourites.

Famed for his giant-killing performances, Martyn Jones will be aiming to uphold local honours in his rapid Vauxhall Nova at number four, with Welshman Llion Williams in the co-driver’s seat.

Rory and Paul McCann start as fifth seed in a Honda Civic, with Steven Ormond-Smith and Adam Yates another local duo to watch in their Mitsubishi Evo IX.

Fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch the action on the stages and get up close to the cars in service throughout the weekend.

Road closures throughout the rally take place approximately 1hr 30min ahead of the time of the first car and the full details of the stages (plus a list of crews and cars) can be found in this week’s edition of the Manx Independent.