On his first forest rally in some three years Donegal’s Donagh Kelly, driving the McGeehan Motorsport Mini WRC, won the Samdec Security Lakeland Forest Rally in Enniskillen.

Irish drivers, Robert Barrable and Keith Cronin had contrastingfortunes in their respective outings in the Barum Czech Rally Zlin (Czech Republic) and Rallye Terre de Lozere (France).

WATERFORD’S Craig Breen (Fiesta S2000) made the best possible start to his SWRC title challenge with a category victory in the Monte Carlo Rally that was won by Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb.

WITH five out of six fastest stage times, Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) extended his overall lead in the Monte Carlo Rally to a minute and 37.2 seconds as the battle for second between Dani Sordo (MINI WRC) and Petter Solberg (Fiesta WRC) hotted up.

THE Irish crew of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle have been stripped of their victory in last week’s Rally of Scotland.

SAFETY is paramount in any sport, but particularly in motorsport. From the start of next season, the HANS device will be compulsory in Irish rallying.

IT’S a venture into the unknown for Dubliner George Tracey, who competes in the Swedish Rally, the second round of the World Rally Championship, that begins today.

NOT content to rest on his laurels, Eugene Donnelly has already completed a deal that will see the 36-year-old Derry ace drive a Toyota Corolla WRC in next season’s Irish Tarmac Championship.

Leitrim’s Sean Gallagher and his Kerry co-driver Paul Nagle were decisive winners of the BIO TECH Kerry Rally.

Leading from the start, Sean Gallagher and co-driver, Liam Costello (Escort Cosworth) dominated the Midland Mini Stage Rally in Carrick on Shannon and ran out convincing winners by 39 seconds.

CELEBRATING a century of involvement in Irish Motorsport, Dunlop is again supporting the National Rally Championship that begins in Ballina on Sunday.

Cork’s John McCarthy/Dan Maguire made an impressive start to the KBB Doors National Forest Championship with a dominant victory in the Suirway Lifts Carrick on Suir Forest Rally. Debuting a Subaru Impreza 555, they controlled the rally from the opening stage.

THE Irish rallying championship season gets underway on Sunday against the backdrop of a strong statement from the sport’s governing body, Motorsport Ireland.

THE new-look RT2000 car was unveiled at the Dunlop Night of Champions in Fitzpatrick’s Killiney Castle Hotel over the weekend.

A MINIMUM prize fund of €25,000 has been put up for this season’s Formula Ireland championship that will begin in Kirkistown on April 5.

Eamonn Byrne dominated the ninth round of the Hewison Autotest Championship at Carrick on Suir today. The former champion won all the day’s twelve tests and at the finish he was some 15 seconds clear of championship leader, J. J. Farrell.

Continuing their excellent run, Niall McShea/Michael Orr finished the highest placed of the Irish crews involved in the Network Q Rally. They were 17th overall and second in the Super 1600 category.

The seventh round of the Hewison Autotest Championship at Graiguecullen, Co Carlow resulted in a narrow win for Eamonn Byrne.

Reigning champion, Eamonn Byrne took a solid win in the fifth round of the Hewison Autotest Championship at Tubbercurry, Co Sligo today.

Michael Keohane’s race weekend at Thruxton ended with a superb win in the Scholarship class.