The RBS International Manx Rally has traditionally become the first all-asphalt event in the UK Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge calendar - and this year is no exception.

Taking place on 9th & 10th May, the championship’s annual visit to the Isle of Man means a change of surface from that of the gravel forestry rounds in rounds one and two, a factor which may well reveal a different winner, as it did last year.

2007 saw Neil McCance take his very first Evo Challenge victory on the island and in the light of his former victory, the Ulsterman starts as first Mitsubishi seed next weekend.

He is followed by this year’s round one winner David Bogie, who will be looking to put his round two and 2007 Manx memories behind him, both events seeing the talented young Scot experience off-road excursions. He will therefore be looking for a good points haul to ensure he keeps his championship hopes in tact.

Next Evo Challenger to leave the start line will be the current series leader Daniel Barry, who’s scored two second places so far this season. He is followed by round two winner and a man that is likely to go well whatever the surface, Richard Cathcart.

He is followed by Nik Elsmore, another driver who is still trying to put the experience of last year’s Manx Rally behind him, but with the video footage used in the opening sequence of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Championship’s television programmes, he is unlikely to forget his spectacular accident too easily.

Young Ulsterman Jonny Greer is next to take the green light and hopes that this time he can finally get some points on the board, having had to endure a series of frustrating mechanical issues in the first two rounds.
Simon Harraway is another looking for better fortune and his first points score, whilst just behind him is the very quick Daniel Sigurdarson. This will be the Icelandic Champion’s first ever 100% tarmac rally and he is relishing his maiden visit to the Isle of Man – a baptism of fire if ever there was one!

Next in line is another driver relatively unfamiliar with asphalt, Keith Cronin, who is yet to show his true colours this season and will certainly want to go further than he did in round two, having left the road on the very first stage. Behind him is a man who says he enjoys the challenge of the Manx roads, Miles Johnston, who could well achieve his best Evo Challenge result so far next weekend.

Rounding up the list of 12 Evo Challenge runners are Jonathan Sparks and David Meredith, both drivers in with an excellent chance of claiming a good points in this event and certainly looking to improve on their seeding.

However, notable by his absence is 2007 championship runner-up and second on the Isle of Man last year, Seb Ling, who is taking a sabbatical following his stage one accident and subsequent zero points score in round two.

The RBS International Manx Rally is a round of the Richard Egger Insurance MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, as well as the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship. These, together with a number of individually entered crews, adds up to a total start list of 124 cars, 12 of which are the Evolution Challenge entries.

The event gets underway at 7.00pm on Friday evening and features five stages before the overnight halt and then a further nine stages on Saturday, the total of which provides a competitive distance of 120 miles.