Cork racing ace Matt Griffin opens his competitive season this afternoon in the Hankook 24 Hour of Dubai with the Dragon Racing Team.

Andrew Purcell (Mitsubishi) is likely to be the barometer of the pace on Sunday’s Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the first round of the Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship.

Manx native Mark Higgins and his Letterkenny co driver Rory Kennedy, on board their Group N Subaru, hung on for victory at the Rally Isle of Man today.

Another good day for Manx native, Mark Higgins and his Donegal co-driver, Rory Kennedy, in their Group N Subaru, who extended their lead in Rally Isle of Man, a counting round of both the Irish Tarmac and British Rally Championships.

IT’s easy to see just why Sebastien Loeb is the World Rally Champion, thousands of spectators had first hand experience over the weekend as he set a scintillating pace in the Murphy Construction Cork 20 International Rally.

BRITISH Rally Champions, Mark Higgins and Rory Kennedy

Through eight of today’s nine stages of this first leg of the Ordnance Survey Killarney International Rally of the Lakes, round three of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, there was little between Northern Ireland duo, Kris Meeke and Eugene Donnelly.

At the end of the opening day of the Derry based Easter International Rally, the second round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, British Rally champions, Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru) head the timesheets.

British rally champion Mark Higgins and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy in the Fitz Samuel Insurance-backed Subaru WRC have won the Cork 20 International Rally, the final round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship.

As expected, Manx born driver, Mark Higgins in a Ford Focus has taken a facile victory in the Manx International Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British Pirelli Championships.

WITH an air of expectancy, the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship season begins tomorrow with the First Choice Flooring Galway International Rally. Several top drivers are involved in some type of change, a factor that adds further intrigue to the first of the eight round series.

Tapio Laukkanen (Subaru) has won the Answercall Direct Ulster Rally, a counting round of both the Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac and Pirelli British Championships.

Finland’s, Tapio Laukkanen in a Subaru, has a lead of one minute and 31 seconds with just one stage remaining in the Answercall Direct Ulster Rally, a counting round of both the Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac and Pirelli British Championships.

After five stages of the Jim Clark Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British Rally Championships, Derry’s Eugene Donnelly (Subaru WRC) has an 8.6 second lead over the Mitsubishi of British Touring Car champion, James Thompson.

Ireland’s Austin MacHale and Brian Murphy (Subaru WRC) are fifth at the end of the first leg of the

Fastest on all today’s five stages, Andrew Nesbitt has a 45 second lead in the Murphy Construction Cork '20' International Rally, the penultimate round of the Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac Championship.