Revised Galway International Rally 2009 Entry List: Conrad Rautenbach and Aaron Burkart are top seeds

Posted by Scott Coursey 29 December, 2008

340x Revised Galway International Rally 2009 Entry List: Conrad Rautenbach and Aaron Burkart are top seeds

The Safety Direct Galway International Rally 2009 Entry List has been revised to take into account the FIA seeded drivers.

Conrad Rautenbach will start at number one and it now transpires that he will be using a PH Sport Citroen Xsara WRC instead of a C4 as originally thought. Rautenbach will have a new co-driver this season in Daniel Barritt as David Senior has elected to retire from the top level.

Aaron Burkart is seeded at two in a Suzuki Swift S1600, signalling a switch from the C2 S1600 he used last year, as he undertakes some serious JWRC preparation for Rally Ireland after contesting the Fastnet Rally back in October. Burkart will likely run lower down the order behind the WRC cars when the rally starts.

Boland is at three with Gareth MacHale number 4 ahead of Kevin Lynch. Eugene Donnelly is next up in his Fabia as McNulty, McGarrity, Hurson and Aaron MacHale make up the top ten in the first round of the tarmac championship.

Group N features reigning ITC champ Kevin Kelleher, Damien Tourish, Evo Ireland challenge winner Brendan Cumisky, all in Evo 9s. James Foley, at number 15, is set to give the Mitsubishi Evo X its Irish debut.

According to Carsport Yearbook, ITC series manager Don Wilmont has reported that Global Group would no longer be able to sponsor the Irish Tarmac Championship due to the economic downturn. However, he is confident that a new sponsor will be found for '09.

The Galway Rally takes place on the 17-18 January, moving forward from its traditional date due to the running of Rally Ireland.

Meanwhile, Rally Ireland is expected to have a total of 43 cars on the entry list.

Galway Rally 2009 Revised Top Twenty Entry List

1 Conrad Rautenbach /Daniel Barritt (Citroen Xsara WRC)

2 Aaron Burkart / Michael Koelbach (Suzuki Swift S1600)
3 Eamonn Boland /MJ Morrissey (Subaru Impreza WRC)
4 Gareth MacHale /Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC)
5 Kevin Lynch /Francis Regan (Subaru Impreza WRC)
6 Eugene Donnelly /Paddy Toner (Skoda Fabia WRC)
7 Tim McNulty /Eugene O'Donnell (Subaru Impreza WRC)
8 Derek McGarrity /Dairmuid Falvey (Subaru Impreza WRC)
9 Peadar Hurson /Damien Connolly (Subaru Impreza WRC)
10 Aaron MacHale /Killian Duffy (Ford Focus WRC)
11 Austin Machale /TBA (Ford Focus WRC)
12 Kevin Kelleher /Martin Kelleher (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
14 Damien Tourish /Domhnall McAlaney (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
15 James Foley /Andrew Cullen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10)
16 Gary McPhillips /Paul Sheridan (Ford Escort Mk2)
17 Wesley Patterson /Martin McGarrity (Ford Escort Mk2)
18 Martin McGee /Arthur Kierans (Ford Escort Mk2)
19 Manus Kelly /Donall Barrett (Ford Escort Mk2)
20 Mike Bird /Kevin Keane (Subaru Impreza WRC)
21 Anthony O'Halloran /Charlie McEnery (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
22 Sean Flanagan /Brian Duggan (Subaru Impreza N12)

Image: daylife.com

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