After a year marred by cancelled events and controversy, Manx stage rallying will look to finish 2018 on a high in next week’s PokerStars Rally

The event has again attracted a quality line-up, no doubt assisted by the continued absence of the Mull Rally from the UK’s autumn calendar.

Former Isle of Man Rally Championship winners, Daniel Harper and Chris Campbell, were set to lead a 100-car entry into action next Friday, but there is now a doubt over the Lancashire crew’s participation after putting the BMW Mini WRC off the road in Sunday’s Cheviot Rally at Otterburn, Northumberland.

That handed the MSA Asphalt Championship title to Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke, winners of the only other stage event to have taken place in the island this year - the Manx National Rally back in May.

Mull’s Paul MacKinnon has made the island hop twice, finishing runner-up each time, and is set to have top local co-driver Rob Fagg on the pace notes. They teamed up for the first time on the Cheviot, finishing seventh.

Welsh team, Spencer Sport, will again field a brace of Mitsubishi Mirage R5s for Jamie Jukes and Essex’s John Indri.

Talented all-rounder Andrew Dudgeon (Mitsubishi Evo 6.5) will head the home drivers with Joe Dooley. Also on the list are fellow Mitsubishi pilots Sean Kelly, Timmy Collins and Gary Leece.

The event will be played out across 15 closed roads stages in the north and west of the island.

Friday will feature six stages, two runs each of Druidale, Brandywell Cottage, Sartfield and Little London followed, in the south-west by Garey, Snuff the Wind, Round Table and Dalby. Completing the loop will be Brack-a-Broom, Poortown Road, Staarvey and Lynague.

Saturday takes in three runs of a three-stage loop, starting at St Jude’s, West Craig, Rhendhoo, Jurby East and the Lhen. Crews then head to Dog Mills , Glascoe, Andreas and Ryehill , with the route completed by a technical test at the Orrisdale loop, Broughjairg, Ballaugh Cronk and Dollagh Mooar.

SIGNING ON SESSIONS

FOR RALLY MARSHALS

As ever, the stages require much resource to ensure they can be run, and signing-on sessions for volunteers will take place across the island next week as follows:

Tuesday, November 6 - Royal George, Ramsey from 5pm to 8.30pm; Wednesday, Nov 7, TT Grandstand, 5pm to 8.30pm; Thursday, Nov 8, TT Grandstand, Douglas 5pm to 8.30pm.

l A fuller preview and entry list will appear in next week’s paper.