Safety Direct Galway International Rally 2009 Entry List: Conrad Rautenbach entered in Citroen C4 WRC as preparation for Rally Ireland

Posted by Scott Coursey 24 December, 2008

610x Safety Direct Galway International Rally 2009 Entry List: Conrad Rautenbach entered in Citroen C4 WRC as preparation for Rally Ireland

Conrad Rautenbach appears on the Galway International Rally 2009 entry list and is expected to be in the PH Sport Citroen C4 WRC as preparation for Rally Ireland.

Rautenbach has just been announced (see previous article) in the new Citroen Sport Junior Team today which will run as a 'Manufacturers 2' team in the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship.

The Galway (which takes place 17/18 Jan) entry boasts some of the top drivers currently in Ireland with ITC champion Eamonn Boland (confirmed for Rally Ireland) driving his Subaru S12C WRC is seeded at number 1 ahead of Gareth MacHale in his Ford Focus WRC 06 (also doing RallyIreland). Kevin Lynch returns to the series in his S12B as does Eugene Donnelly in the Skoda Fabia WRC and hopefully these two will be seen on Rally Ireland. Tim McNulty is at five in the S12B and should also be doing Rally Ireland two weeks after.

One driver who isn't doing Rally Ireland but will be in Galway is Derek McGarrity who brings out his Subaru S12B. Peadar Hurson makes a rare International appearance in his S10 and is followed on the entry list by Aaron (will be doing Rally Ireland) and Austin MacHale in their respective Ford Focus WRCs.

Meanwhile, in addition to the news that Conrad Rautenbach and Chris Atkinson will be doing Rally Ireland in C4s, Kahlid Al Qassimi is expected to take part in the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Focus WRC. He will compete in his usual limited programme of WRC rallies in '09 which will consist of around six events.

Rautenbach commented on his website about contesting the WRC season opening Rally Ireland:

This will be one of the hardest events in the championship, there’s no doubt about that. I have done some events in Ireland before (not this one) and the roads are always tricky with all the mud and water lying around. And, running in late January, I think we can safely add ice and possibly snow into that mix. Nice!

Ireland’s a great place to start the new season. Okay, it might not have the same glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo, but what it does have is massive and enormously passionate following for rallying. The Irish spectators are famous for their love of the sport, so they’re sure to give us a warm welcome."

Safety Direct Galway International Rally 2009 Top Twenty Entry List

1	Eamonn Boland	Scotland	MJ Morrissey	Scotland	Subaru S12C	8
2	Gareth MacHale	Dublin	Brian Murphy	Co. Kildare	Ford Focus WRC 06	8
3	Kevin Lynch	Co. Londonderry	Francis Regan	Co. Antrim	Subaru S12B	8
4	Eugene Donnelly	Co. Londonderry	Paddy Toner		Skoda Fabia WRC	8
5	Tim McNulty	Co. Meath	Eugene O'Donnell	Co. Donegal	Subaru S12B	8
6	Derek McGarrity	Co. Antrim	Dairmuid Falvey	Co. Kerry	Subaru S12B	8
7	Conrad Rautenbach	France	Daniel Barritt	UK	Citroen C4 WRC	8
8	Peadar Hurson	Co. Down	Damien Connolly		Subaru Impreza WRC S10	8
9	Aaron MacHale	Co. Kildare	Killian Duffy	Co. Mayo	Ford Focus WRC 05	8
10	Austin Machale	Dublin	TBA		Ford Focus WRC 03	8
11	Kevin Kelleher	Co. Cork	Martin Kelleher	Co. Cork	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9	4
12	Damien Tourish	Co. Donegal	Domhnall McAlaney	Co. Donegal	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9	4
14	James Foley	Co. Meath	Andrew Cullen	Co. Meath	Mitsubishi Evo 10	4
15	Gary McPhillips	Co. Monaghan	Paul Sheridan	Co. Fermanagh	Ford Escort Mk2	14
16	Wesley Patterson	Co. Down	Martin McGarrity	Co. Fermanagh	Ford Escort Mk2	14
17	Martin McGee	Co. Donegal	Arthur Kierans	Co. Monaghan	Ford Escort	14
18	Manus Kelly	Co. Donegal	Donall Barrett	Co. Dublin	Ford Escort Mk2	14
19	Mike Bird	Co. Galway	Kevin Keane	Co. Galway	Subaru Impreza WRC S7	8
20	Anthony O'Halloran	Co. Clare	Charlie McEnery	Co. Clare	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9	4