The timing of a press release from the Donegal Motor Club on Wednesday lunchtime stating its intention to continue as part of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship is hugely surprising.

The Irish duo of Kris Meeke (Dungannon) and Paul Nagle (Killarney) in their Peugeot S307 have finished second in the Barum Czech Rally Zlin, round eight of the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.