The 35th running of the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes has attracted an unprecedented entry of 170 cars across four catogories -- International, modified, historic and junior.

Action gets underway with a ceremonial start in Killarney's town centre on Friday night where organiser, Killarney and District Motor Club have laid on a family entertainment evening where fans can meet the leading drivers while watching action from previous events on screens set to a back drop of live music provided local bands and djs.

Heading the international entry list is last year's winner and current Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship leader Declan Boyle. The Donegal man arrives in Kerry on the back of four outright victories this year including the recent Fel's Point Hotel Circuit of Kerry, the two opening rounds of the ITRC, The Galway International and the Easter Weekend Circuit of Ireland Rally.

Last year's winner, Gary Jennings, looks certain to field a Subaru Impreza S14 from the McGarrity stable. The Fermanagh man crashed out while leading the Circuit of Ireland on the final stage and his own Impreza suffered substantial damage and makes it unlikely to be readied in time for Killarney.

West Cork Rally winner Donagh Kelly will be seeking his first Killarney win in his Ford Focus WRC, while the 2012 Billy Coleman award winner, Sam Moffett, in his Fiesta WRC, will be anxious to make his mark on the International Rally scene and add to his Donegal International Rally victory last June.

Making a welcome return to the rally scene is Aaron McHale,who will be seeking to continue in the winning ways which made his father, Austin, a multiple Tarmac Rally Champion.

The event gets under way with a ceremonial drive through in Killarney town centre on Friday evening. Competitive motoring on Saturday morning will tackle a loop of three stages at Molls Gap, Beallaghbeama and Caragh Lake before returning to Service at the Liebherr Container Cranes factory in Fossa.

Sunday sees the cars tackle Molls Gap for the third time and then it's on to a loop of three stages which have not been used for ten years in the Rally of the Lakes, The first of these, Borlin, is actually a combination of two old classics, Sheen River and Borlin, and takes the rally over the county bounds into County Cork.