M-Sport are interested in entering January’s Safety Direct Galway International in preparation for Rally Ireland 09

Image: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

M-Sport are said to be interested in fielding some of its Ford teams on the Galway International Rally 2009 in preparation for the WRC season's opening Rally Ireland, according to rallynews.net.

Galway Rally Clerk of the Course Gary Leonard stated to rallynews that he had received a number of entries for the Safety Direct backed event (which takes place 17-18 January), and that M-Sport had expressed an interest in entering some of its teams.

The Ford WRT and Stobart have been mentioned as the likely entries while speculation suggests that the Subaru WRT could be interested in competing as well. Things appear to be looking good for the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship despite the recent talk of doom and gloom about the series.

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team (Abu Dhabi were not on board at the time) competed on the Galway Rally in 2007 with Marcus Gronholm as they went about gathering data for that year's Rally Ireland. Gronholm won the rally after a dice with Eugene Donnelly who was driving a Subaru S12 WRC.

The last time M-Sport competed in Galway was 2007:

Gronholm vs Donnelly

Gronholm: Galway Shakedown and the rally

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