ALTHOUGH Barryroe's Steve Roberts isn't a Beatles fan, the lyrics of their melody ‘When I'm Sixty-Four’ has a certain resonance given its many questions.

While Steve has recently just passed that marker, he has no intention of putting the brakes on his rallying career that began with a road rally in England (Quentin Novices Rally) in 1984. His first stage rally was the Mewla Rally in 1990.

Indeed, the forthcoming Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally will see him contest his local event for the 27th time, surpassing his near neighbour Willie McCarthy, who has taken part in 26 West Cork rallies, his last in 2008.

Once Steve starts this year's West Cork, he will have sole occupancy of third in the rankings of competing in the most West Cork's since the event began in 1977.

Presently, Rosscarbery's Jerry O'Mahony with 40 and Ballinacarriga's Gerard O'Connell with 28 are the record leaders.

Even when he resided near Wolverhampton, Steve Roberts had an interest in the Clonakilty event. He moved to Ardgehane in 1993 to set-up a (partnership) chain of discount stores in Munster and, naturally, competed in Keohane Readymix West Cork at the wheel of a Ford Escort, seeded at No. 89 and partnered by Clonakilty's David Ryan. But his inaugural outing didn't go to plan.

‘I crashed out by the church in Kilnagross near Clonakilty,’ he recalled.

‘The hat-trick of non-finishes were completed in 1994 and 1995. Then, in 1996 and guided by Barryroe native Kevin O'Driscoll (who has become synonymous with the event) Steve registered his first finish – seventh in class and 28th overall.

There is no hesitation as to what, so far, is his most savoured event.

‘That was in 2009 (with Adrian Hayes) when we won the class (Class 12) and were 20th overall. I had a tremendous battle with Ballinacarriga's Ger O'Connell. Up to that point, I could never beat him, he was a good driver and had a great car, but that year it all came good for me,’ he said.

This year, Clonakilty's Jonathan Jennings will co-drive – the pair bridging a 32-year gap since they last competed together in Clonakilty.

Given that he lives in Ardgehane, it's no surprise that the Ring stage is his favourite.

‘Yeah, it's a great stage but it is important to listen to the pacenotes. If not, you could easily lull yourself into a false sense of security and then it's easy to make a mistake.’

As for his thoughts at 64, Steve says: ‘I enjoy it as much now as I did in 1994 when I did my first West Cork Rally. Believe it or believe it not, I'm still obsessed with it!’

As of Monday last, entries for the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally that is now just two weeks away had passed the 155 mark. Clonakilty's Cal McCarthy (Citroen C3 Rally2) and David Guest (Ford Fiesta Rally2) are the leading locals in the main event.

In the Historics, Dunmanway's Jason McSweeney (Ford Escort WRC) is the top local entry with opposition featuring Waterford's Ray Breen (Subaru Legacy) and Dubliner Robert Barrable in a BMW M3. Barrable won the main event in 2011 in a Skoda Fabia S2000 edging out Midleton's Daragh O'Riordan (Subaru Impreza S12B) by a margin of a mere 1.3 seconds that remains the narrowest winning margin since the inception of the rally in 1977.