A ninth birthday present of a go-kart has propelled Shanagarry’s Lucca Allen towards his ultimate dream – competing in Formula 1. 

Following a winter of uncertainty, Irish rallying springs into action tomorrow with the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship.

Dubliner Robert Barrable, better known for his rallying forays, will compete in this season’s British GT Championship where he will team up Northern Ireland’s Wilson Thompson in a Team HARD-prepared Ginetta G55 GT4.

With their fifth win of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, Donegal cousins Declan and Brian Boyle (Subaru WRC) clinched the series with an emphatic victory in the Clonmel-based Sepam Tipperary Stone-throwers Rally.

Few, if any, drivers have more experience of the terrain within the Cartell.ie International Rally of the Lakes than Denis Cronin, himself a winner of the Killarney spectacular in 2010.

These are busy times for Cork racing ace Matt Griffin.

Cork driver Keith Cronin duly wrapped up his third British Rally Championship title with a measured drive through the six stage International Rally of Yorkshire, the final round of the series.

On what was his first rally in over eight months, Wexford’s James Stafford, in his rear wheel drive Darrian T90 GTR, took a well-earned victory in the Kilkenny-based Raven’s Rock Rally.

Although not a round of the Dunlop series, tomorrow’s Kilkenny-based Raven’s Rock Rally has still attracted an entry in excess of 100 crews along with 18 competitors in the junior category.

THE Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship heralds the beginning of the Irish rally season tomorrow with the Abbey Hotel Donegal Forest Rally making its debut in the series.

SWORDS driver Robert Barrable (Skoda Fabia S2000)held off the spirited challenge of Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan (Subaru WRC) to take an 11 second victory in the Sligo Park Hotel Rally, round six of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

THE most anticipated round of the World Rally Championship, the Rally Italy in Sardinia, has enormous Irish interest with the competition debut of the Mini John Cooper Works WRC.

Portadown’s Adam Carroll, the joint leader of the British Formula 3 Championship, has a battle on his hands to stop chief rival, Nelson Angelo Piquet racing ahead in the series.

After a four year absence from competitive action, Carlow’s, Stephen Murphy and co-driver, Mickey Joe Morrissey in a Subaru WRC won the Seven Oaks Hotel/Dargan Tools Carlow Rally by over a minute from the Subaru of Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell with Patrick Elliott/David Moynihan, also in a Subaru, third.

Michael Devaney became Ireland’s youngest ever Formula 3 race winner in Oschersleben when he took the chequered flag at the third round of the German Formula 3 Championship.

Cork racing ace, Matt Griffin has moved a step closer to a full time career in motor racing.

BASED on previous performances, Dessie Nutt is the obvious favourite in Sunday’s Killarney Historic Rally.

Finnish driver, Tapio Laukkanen and Jari-Matti Latvala occupy the top two places in the Trackrod Rally in the Yorkshire forests as Ireland’s, Austin MacHale and co-driver, Brain Murphy maintain fourth place.

MICHAEL KEOHANE and Austin McHale face their respective assignments in Donington Park and the Circuit of Kerry with a common theme – success in a British Championship.