Saturday’s Black Horse Finance Forest Stages is a wide open start to the Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship.

The entry list of 23 crews doesn’t including any of the winners of stage events on the island last year, and it is entirely possible that a two-wheel drive car will claim a rare off-road win.

Reigning Manx champion Noel Kelly will lead the field into action at Conrehenny Plantation, with son James on the notes in the Mitsubishi Evo 6. Noel always goes well on the loose surface events, but even with the advantage of all-wheel drive on the rain-soaked tracks a plethora of hard chargers behind will keep him on his toes.

Nigel Cannell, himself a former champion, leads the opposition in his Vauxhall Astra with Nick Kaighin alongside. It’ll be first time out for Cannell in the car, with which Jimmy Howe won the 2005 championship, but he’s no stranger to Astra’s and should be on the pace immediately.

However the battle to watch could well be between the similar Vauxhall Nova’s of Richard Curphey and Shaun Fox. Curphey finished as the leading two-wheel drive car on the event last year in third overall, and has Andrew Holmes back on the notes once again. Fox meanwhile will tackle his first event for six months and has borrowed Dave Beynon’s car for the event, but should be thereabouts.

Matt Bettridge will use father Pat’s Toyota Celica for the first time, while Andy Glaister has a new Evo 6 at his disposal, but it’s likely to be a learning curve for both drivers. Steve Colley is also set to make a return to rallying in a Vauxhall Astra and starts in the top 10.

The event is due to get underway from 9.30am, with all stage sand servicing within Conrhenny Plantation itself. The leading crews are scheduled to finish at around 3.30pm.

• Scrutineering and signing-on for the opening stage rally of the year, the Black Horse Finance Forest Stages, takes place tonight at Eurocars on Peel Road, Douglas, from 6pm. Paul Dewar and Mark Wrigley are Chief Marshal and Chief Timekeeper respectively, and if you are able to help either pop down to Eurocars or call Mark on 498197. it is worth noting that the entire rally is contained within the Conrhenny plantation, including service, and several stages run past the main entrance so access will be restricted after the event begins.
   
• The presentation for the event will be at the Hydro Hotel from 8pm on the evening of the event. There’s no admittance charge and all are welcome, especially the many marshals, timekeepers, radio, rescue and recovery officials without whom we’d have no sport.
   
• Conrhenny Plantation is situated off the B12 Creg-ny-Baa road, map ref 407 827