In contrast to last year when Declan Boyle clinched the Dunlop National Rally Championship at the Clonmel-based Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, the Donegal driver will journey to South Tipperary this weekend to keep his current title bid alive.

A decision on the inclusion of the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally as a counting round of the Irish Tarmac Championship is still awaited.

Irish and Welsh contests are nothing new in the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally and Denis Cronin and Daragh O’Riordan will have Welsh ace Melvyn Evans as their most formidable opponent when the 13-stage event starts in Clonakilty tomorrow.

All seven nominees for this year’s Billy Coleman Award for the Young Rally Driver of the Year have now been announced.

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.

Triple national rally champion Niall Maguire has conquered the Sligo Rally on several occasions — as has his son Shane, who won last year — yet it has been nine years since Maguire Snr’s last triumph and, indeed, his last national victory.

Through five decades, Kenny McKinstry has been involved in Irish rallying, initially as a competitor but more recently in the hire and preparation of Subaru WRCs.

Motorsport Ireland has said it "deeply regrets" that a competitor passed away following injuries received in a tragic accident during the Carrick-on-Suir stages rally which took place yesterday.

The Waterford-based Raven’s Rock Rally, round four of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, was stopped after six of the day’s nine stages after popular Dungarvan driver, Paul Mulcahy was killed when his Toyota Starlet collided with a stone fence on the fourth stage near Kilmacthomas.

Motor sport enthusiasts were last night mourning the loss of a prominent rally driver who was killed in a crash while taking part in the Ravens Rock Rally in Co Waterford.

A rally driver has been killed during a race in Waterford, event organisers said.

Galway’s Dean Raftery and Monaghan’s Daniel McKenna and Stephen Wright have been shortlisted for the 2012 Billy Coleman Award with a top prize of €50,000.

The full complement of nominees for the 2012 Billy Coleman Award, the top award in Irish motorsport, has been completed with the addition of two bi-monthly winners along with championship nominees and a wildcard selection.

The quest for supremacy in the Dunlop National Rally Championship reaches its conclusion tomorrow on the nine stages of the Donegal Harvest Rally, which is based in Donegal town.

Brian O’Mahony in his Subaru WRC S11 moved into top position in the Dunlop National Rally Championship standings today after his victory at the Clare Stages Rally.

Dunlop National Rally Championship leader Thomas Fitzmaurice has promised to intensify his attempt to win the series that moves to the penultimate stage at Sunday’s Auburn Lodge Clare Rally in Ennis.

Cork’s Matt Griffin is upbeat ahead of this weekend’s fourth round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Silverstone.

Brian O’Mahony kept his Dunlop National Rally Championship dreams alive today with a victory at the Stonethrowers Rally in Tipperary.

THE triple title challenge for the Dunlop National Rally Championship involving Kerry’s Thomas Fitzmaurice, Monaghan’s Niall Maguire and Cork’s Brian O’Mahony enters a key phase on Sunday at the Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.

Dunlop National Rally Championship leader Thomas Fitzmaurice will battle a strong overseas contingent at Sunday’s ALMC Rally in Meath and Louth.

These are difficult times for all involved in Irish motorsport and while Sunday’s Circuit of Munster Rally is going ahead as planned, a number of the top crews have withdrawn as a mark of respect following the fatalities at last week’s Cavan Rally.

Garry Jennings (Subaru 555), current leader of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, could take a major step towards the title in tomorrow’s Mallow-based Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally.

Having punched in the third fastest time on yesterday’s opening stage of the Tour de Corse, round four of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Craig Breen suffered disappointment when his Sainteloc-run Peugeot 207 S2000 broke a driveshaft on the second stage as he lost touch with the leaders.

Remarkably, for the fifth time in recent years, the Carlton Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally, the third round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, ended in a tie-break.

There is no real explanation why the Carlton Hotel Circuit of Kerry is one of the most hotly contested events in Irish rallying. On four occasions in recent times the rally has ended in a tie-break situation and three have involved current leader of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, Niall Maguire.

Already shaping up to be a good contest between the Subaru S11 quartet of Dunlop regulars Kevin Barrett and Niall Maguire and newcomers, Thomas Fitzmaurice and Brian O’Mahony, the Dunlop National Rally Championship continues on Sunday with the Claremorris based McWilliam Park Hotel/Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Rally.

The revamped Dunlop National Rally Championship begins on Sunday with the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally and a capacity entry for the nine stages around Rathdowney.

TWO young drivers, Monaghan’s, Sam Moffett and Dubliner, Aaron Smith, won the top awards in Irish Motorsport yesterday and a bursary of €50,000 each.

MOTORSPORT IRELAND announced the finalists for both the Young Rally Driver and Young Racing Driver of the Year Awards to be presented at next month’s Dunlop Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards.

THE Bantry-based Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally brings the Dunlop National Rally Championship to a fitting finale on Sunday with a cracking entry featuring no fewer than seven World Rally Cars in a quality line-up.

FORMER five-times Irish Tarmac champion Eugene Donnelly is a dramatic late entry for next week’s Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally in Bantry.

NEWLY-CROWNED Irish Tarmac Group N champion, Garry Jennings headlines tomorrow’s Bailey NiteClub Redcastle Oceanfront Spa Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally, the penultimate round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

TIM McNULTY and co-driver Paul Kiely (Subaru WRC) won their sixth event in the Dunlop National Rally Championship with victory in the Auburn Lodge Hotel Clare Rally to clinch the national series.

WITH an unbeaten record in the current Dunlop National Rally Championship, Tim McNulty, can clinch his first major title on Sunday’s eighth round of the series in Clare although he will need a little help from his rivals.

THERE is unlikely to be a stampede of Irish applicants for the second intake at the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy.

TEAMS will tackle six stages in Co Antrim this afternoon in their respective opening legs of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally and the Todds Leap International Rally Northern Ireland, part of the Irish Tarmac Rally and Dulux Trade British Rally championships.

A CASE of back to the forests for the title protagonists of this season’s Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship that resumes tomorrow after an extended break due to the cancellation of the fourth round in Donegal last month.

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.

TIME may be running out for Tim McNulty’s rivals to thwart his bid for the Dunlop National Rally Championship title.

THESE are busy times for Craig Breen, yet another emerging Irish rallying star.

PRESENTLY enjoying a fine debut season in his Skoda Fabia S2000, Dubliner Robert Barrable has received an official invitation to compete in the Barum Rally (August 26-28) in the Czech Republic, round seven of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge series.

WHAT appeared to be a cracking entry for Sunday’s Kilkenny-based Suirway Farm Machinery Raven’s Rock Rally, the fifth round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, has been decimated by a series of withdrawals.

THE final round of this season’s Dunlop National Rally Championship, the Fastnet Rally, has a new base and headquarters at the Westlodge Hotel in Bantry.

WITH little room for error, Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) and co-driver, Paul Kiely were pushed all through the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally before claiming their fourth successive victory in the Dunlop National Rally Championship.