Loughgall Festival of Motorsport takes place this weekend and features the likes of Coleman, Curley, Lyons, McKinstry and Meeke

This Saturday's Wilsons Auctions Loughgall Festival of Motorsport will see legends past and present compete against one another. Northern Ireland's first minister, Peter Robinson was taken for a spin by Winston Henry at a press launch for the event on Monday.

"The rally car experience was a truly exhilarating experience," commented first minister Peter Robinson. "I would be a motorsport enthusiast so in many ways it was a dream come true! I am honoured to have been able to launch this event but I'm also deeply moved. I must commend all of the organisers for their determination in seeing this project through to its fulfilment. Clearly they have gone to all lengths possible to make this Festival the success that I know it will be.

With the likes of legend Cahal Curley competing in a Porsche 911 and an array of Irish motorsport stars taking part the event is likely to be one of the Irish rallies of the year. Billy Coleman will be there and is still the only Irishman ever to win the British Rally Championship back in 1974. Kenny McKinstry will be competing in an ex-Ari Vatanen Escort which he used to own and John Lyons will also be in a Mk 2 Escort. Kris Meeke heads the modified entry in a Mk 2 Escort and will be up against the likes of Camillus Bradley and Wesley Patterson.

Historic Rally Car Challenge - top 10 seeds
1 John Keatley/Maurice Beckett (Porsche 911)
2 Cathal Curley/Elkin Robinson (Porsche 911)
3 Billy Coleman/Ciara Hughes (Ford Escort RS1800)
4 Kenny McKinstry/Emma McKinstry (Ford Escort)
5 John Lyons/Gerard Kelly (Ford Escort MkII)
6 Mervyn Johnston/Wendy Blackledge (Mini Cooper S)
7 Stewart Clarke/Marshall Clarke (Ford Escort RS1800)
8 Keith McIvor/David Burns (Porsche 911)
9 David Armstrong/TBA (Ford Escort MkII)
10 John Farrell/Enda Shiels (Ford Escort RS)

Modified category - top 5 seeds
43 Kris Meeke/Pamela Ballantine (Ford Escort MkII)
44 Camillus Bradley/Danny O'Neill (Ford Escort MkII)
45 Wesley Patterson/Martin McGarrity (Ford Escort MkII)
46 Mervyn Wedlock/Laura Wedlock (Ford Escort MkII)
47 James Kennedy/John Rowan (Ford Escort MkII)

Last year's event which included Bjorn Waldegard in his 1977 Safari winning Escort

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• Wilsons Auctions Loughgall Festival of Motorsport Historic Rally Car Challenge 2008 Results
• Bernd Casier was one of the stars of Ypres 2008 here is a video of him testing prior to the rally and one of him during it
• Rally Russia 2008 held in the town of Vyborg is round 4 of the IRC and has an interesting entry list