Locals gear up for Circuit of Ireland Retro Rally

The 2010 "Retro" kicks off on Friday October 29 until Sunday October 31. The Organising Committee of this year's Ulster Automobile Club Circuit of Ireland Retrospective Trial is pleased to see the event return to Lisburn.

A spokeperson said: "We welcome all the competitors especially our International crews who have travelled from as far afield as Germany to enjoy this year's event."

The Mayor of Lisburn, Alderman Paul Porter, welcomed the event back to Lisburn: "Lisburn City Council is delighted to sponsor the Retro Rally for a second year and bring it back to the people of Lisburn. The locations and facilities that we have here in the City are well matched to a rally such as the Retro and it is particularly exciting to see that the Club are including the Maze site as part of their trials."

Chairman of Lisburn City Council's Leisure Services Committee, Councillor David Archer said "The Retro Rally is just one of 29 events that the Council is funding during 2010 through DCAL's Community Festivals Fund. I wish the organisers and the competitors a successful and enjoyable event."

The Retro Rally will begin with a Ceremonial Start at the Irish Linen Centre/Lisburn Museum at 12 noon. Following on from the success of last year, the event will be returning to Wallace Park for two special tests, then a loop of tests in the Hillsborough and Lisburn area.

It will then visit the Maze Longkesh Regeneration Site and Lagan Valley Leisureplex before returning to Wallace Park for a further two tests. This will keep the action in Wallace Park alive between 12noon and 3pm. The event then heads to a second loop of tests at Nutts Corner via Dundrod Pits before returning to the Premier Inn for a supper halt.

After Supperdrivers will follow in the footsteps of the Ulster Automobile Club's President - Mr Robin McKinney - who in the late 1950s and early 1960s competed in the old Maze Long Kesh race circuit in an Aston Martin DB2/4 purchased from the great John Surtees OBE. The drivers are competing here in this spectacular night time special which will test their navigational and driving skills to the limit. After that, the pressure is on as the cars move into a 40 mile night navigation section before returning to the Premier Inn for a well deserved sleep to charge the batteries for Saturday.

Saturday morning (October 30) sees the drivers and navigators return to the Maze Long Kesh site for a daylight run of the Friday night's special test before proceeding to Mossvale Equestrian Centre in Dromara. The picturesque forests of Castlewellan and Tollymore follow this as the event winds its way south through County Down. A well deserved lunch in Narrow Water Castle will prepare the teams for an afternoon's sport in Slieve Gullion and Camlough Forest Parks before returning to the Premier Inn for a night of good food and craic.

On Sunday morning (October 31) the cars leave Lisburn and head to their first Regularity which starts from Carryduff. Drivers should arrive for 2 exciting tests at Scrabo. This is followed by another Regularity leading into the Ards Peninsula where they visit Lord Dunleath's Estate and the Kirkistown Race Circuit. Here at Kirkistown the drivers are treated to 2 five mile challenges with an exhilarating Le Mans style head-to-head test. After lunch the crews make their way back across the Ards Peninsula towards Clandeboye Estate and then over the Craigantlet hills to the Titanic Quarter in Belfast for a test in the shadows of the imposing Samson and Goliath cranes.

Exhausted but in high spirits the teams will return to Rally Headquarters at the Premier Inn, Lisburn for final results and banter.