Tullamore native to make rallying return

If you’re going to wait ten years before getting back behind the wheel of a rally car, you might as well make an adventure out of it.

Tralee-based Tullamore man Mark Kane returns to active competition this coming on this weekend at the Rallye de La Nucía Mediterráneo – Costa Blanca, a round of the Spanish Superchampionship based near Benidorm.

It marks Kane’s first event as a driver since the 2015 Birr Stages Rally, where he competed in a Ford Escort Mk2. This time, he will pilot a Hyundai i20 R5, prepared and run by Spain-based Irish outfit PCRS Rallysport.

The two-day tarmac event begins on Friday afternoon and runs into the night, with the second leg starting just after 9 a.m. on Saturday and finishing around 6 p.m. Crews will tackle 12 stages, covering 161 kilometres of closed public roads.

Kane’s co-driver will be Jeff Case from Laois, who will mark his 100th rally start at the event. It will also be Kane’s first competitive outing in a left-hand drive car and his first rally outside Ireland as a driver.

Other Irish representation in Spain includes Phillip Allen from County Tyrone, who is competing in a Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo with Welsh co-driver Craig Drew.