Forestburgh, New York -- Expectations are running high for Rally New York 2004, set for Saturday April 17. The rally will run through Sullivan and Delaware Counties, with a start and finish in Monticello.

John Drislane, winner of the last Rally New York (when it was based in Andes) says that he is looking forward to the event. "It's our home rally," he said, pointing to the fact that he lives in Carmel, New York. He is familiar with, and enjoys driving, the roads in the Catskills. Still, Drislane and his co-driver (navigator) Ronan Burke are not counting on the first-place trophy just yet. They expect heavy competition from the teams of Seamus Burke/Charles Bradley and Tom Lawless/Jason Gillespie.

The Georgia-based team of Seamus Burke and Charles Bradley are probably the favorites to win, since they lead the Eastern States Rally Championship after taking the first two rounds. But Bradley is far from over-confident. "Everything is going according to plan, but you can never tell what's going to happen," he says, remembering that a change in weather, a mechanical failure, or an error in judgment can sideline the front-runner. And they have reason to pace themselves-they are entered in another rally in Oregon one week later, in the same car. "Sure, we're the leaders in the championship, but we've got to drive wisely."

Rally New York has received 63 entries, with competitors coming from both the U.S. and Europe. Twelve of the cars are Mitsubishi Lancers-the car chosen by Drislane, Burke and Lawless-and thirteen are Subaru Imprezas. But there are also numerous Eagle Talons, Volkswagen Golfs, Audis, Mazdas and a Dodge Shadow.

Rally New York is the third round of the Eastern States Rally Championship, which is sanctioned by the National Auto Sport Association.

Rally headquarters, the start and the finish are at Mr. Willy's Restaurant, on Route 42 in Monticello. Starting time will be 8 a.m., with the cars on display for a short time beforehand. Spectator guides and course maps, with spectator points marked, are available from the rally's web site, www.rallynewyork.com.