The Manx National Rally returns this weekend with a capacity field of 170 cars making up what is likely to be the biggest entry for any UK special stage rally in 2026.

Taking place on Friday and Saturday (May 8-9), competitors will tackle 137 competitive miles over 22 special stages across the island.

The event, organised By Manx Auto Sport, is a round of five championships and competitors have entered from the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, the Fuchs Lubricants Motorsport UK British Historic Rally Championship, the Manx Auto Sport Championship, the Roger Albert Clark Historic Asphalt Rally Championship and the ANWCC Stage Rally Championship.

It is estimated that the economic boost from the rally will be significantly more than £1 million as competitors, support teams, families and spectators all travel to the island.

Running as car one will be Jerseyman Sam Touzel with his English co-driver Max Freeman in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.

They have set a scorching pace on asphalt in recent times and have used the experience gained in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship to up their game to an impressive level.

Someone very familiar with victory on the island is Jason Pritchard will run at car two with regular co-driver Phil Clarke in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in search of another Manx win. Pritchard has a stellar record on the island and knows these roads better than most.

David Wright/Jane Nicol and Hugh Hunter/Andy Marchbank are next in their Ford Fiesta Rally2s and will have podium aspirations at least before the first of the Irish visitors, Ryan Loughran (Ford Fiesta Rally2). Donegal based Loughran has enlisted the local expertise of Manxman Rob Fagg as his co-driver.

Niall McGonigle and Caolan McKenna are next up in their VW Polo GTi R5 and are followed by Cal McCarthy/Eric Calnan (Citroen C3 Rally2) while the quality-packed top 10 is completed by Brad Cole/Jamie Vaughan (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Steve Wood/Kenny Hull (VW Polo GTi R5) and Roger Duckworth/Ian Windress (Ford Fiesta R5).

The two-wheel-drive entry is just as quality packed and likely to be just as hard-fought as the overall battle and is headed by the spectacular V6 Jaguar-engined Ford Escort Mk3 of Lee Edwards and Sam Spencer.

They will be closely followed into the stages by Huw James and Lewis Sim in their newly completed 2.5-litre Fiat 131. This will be the modified Fiat’s first proper run after a very brief debut on Rali Ceredigion last September. Meanwhile, Gordon Morrison/Ian Parker have the first of the Ford Escort Mk2s and will be aiming to repeat their 2WD victory of a year ago.

Close behind the quickest of the modern-two-wheel drives will be the leading historic crews and it is Martin McCormack and Barney Mitchell leading the way in their spectacular BMW M3. Gareth James/Dale Gibbons, Stefan Davies/Michael Gilbey and Will Rowlands/Emyr Hall are next up in rapid Ford Escort Mk2s and will surely take the fight to the flying BMW.

Irishmen Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy are next in their rapid BMW M3 before more quick Escorts for Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper, Michael McDaid/Harry Stubbs and Richard Jordan/Sam Collis.

The island is very well represented in the entry list with around 35 local crews in action.

Top of the home crews will be son and father Rory and Paul McCann in their Honda Civic with Rory back in the driving seat for the first time in nearly two years in his self-prepared Civic.

The McCanns are the first of four local crews seeded in a block with regular contenders George Collister and Janet Craine next up in their BMW before Declan Jackson and Irish co-driver Barry McCarney, who have entered a Ford Fiesta Rally2 for the first time. Chasing them will be the hard-charging Martyn Jones with Steve Luton alongside in their Vauxhall Nova.

The opening stage on Friday is based around the Staarvey in the west of the island with roads closing at 9.15am. The action then moves south to Ronague and the Blackboards before competitors tackle the ‘Red Lion’ stage which starts near Santon and finishes in St John’s.

A further five stages follow on Friday night, including second loops round Staarvey and the Blackboards, plus two runs of the Port Erin stage which runs up the Darragh toward Cregneash.

Saturday’s 11 stages kick off bright and early, with roads closing at 8.15am on The Lhen stage in the north of the island. Further tests follow at Ballaterson near Ballaugh, the long Baldwins stage followed by further stages near Begoade and then Maughold. These stages are repeated on Saturday afternoon with the day comes to a close with two loops of the short Dreemskerry stages which are based in the latter area.

The event will be based at the new Andreas Rally Village which is based on Andreas Airfield.