World Rally Radio preview - Rally Ireland

Status update: I'm in transit.
Location: A wobbly table, Starbucks, Dublin airport
Emotion: Wired with caffeine

I'm onto my second skinny vanilla latte of the morning, my flight for Sligo leaves in about 2 hours. I reckon I could get at least another four in before that. The reason for my caffeine craving? Pure excitement I guess, WRC 2009 gets underway on Friday - do I need another excuse? Ok, there is thirst, but you get my meaning.

Since the end of 2008 there has been a fair bit of drama, with Suzuki and the legendary Subaru Rally Team withdrawing from the sport. We received a big bag full of mail from fans around the world upset at news and so were we, things just won't be quite the same around the service park and all the people involved with the teams will be sorely missed.

So, on Friday the big whirly wheel of World Championship rallying flies into action and we will be there to see it set its course through twelve events, all starting with Rally Ireland. World Rally Radio has been to Ireland twice; each time was awesome and I'm hoping the third will live up to, if not better, its predecessors, - especially as it is the championship opener!

Over the Christmas break we have been busy, mostly celebrating but there was some work to be done, mainly for our technical genius 'Christophe lambie pie', or Chris as his wife calls him. He had the unenviable task of unpacking all of last years equipment used by Colin and myself, fixing it, cleaning it and delivering it back to the WRR Truck. He wasn't a happy man, food on the microphones, tangled cables, broken things, missing things, mystery additional equipment that wasn't even ours - we have both been told off and warned that if the kit is not kept in pristine condition we will face his wrath. He is not a pretty sight when angry so we will try our best.

Colin is on good form and rather shockingly, has had a haircut. Gone are the wild bohemian flowing locks that graced his Scottish head last year. It's now short back and sides with a bit of curly stuff on the top, lovely. He is more than ready to get back behind the microphone and can be found roaming the stage ends delivering magical reports and scrounging for food and coffee.

The show is packed this weekend so we do hope you will call in for a bit of a listen, maybe stay a while and have a skinny vanilla latte and even consider dropping us an email or two. The address, like your favourite woolly jumper, has not changed, its still: radio@wrc.com

On air times for this weekend are mind numbingly easy to remember:

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 0800hrs (CET -1 hour)

I'm off for a latte top up, I may not sleep for the next 2 nights but I really don't care!
Becsy wecsy