The in-form Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) can take a major step towards annexing the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship on this weekend’s Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes in Killarney. 

Whatever their individual qualities, the combination of stages in the Killarney area and those within the Beara Peninsula are probably unequalled within Europe.

After the opening six stages of the Ordnance Survey Ireland/Gleneagle Hotel Rally of the Lakes, the third round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship, Derek McGarrity/Dermot O’Gorman (Subaru WRC) have a 34 second lead over Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely in a Toyota Corolla WRC.

A commanding performance laced with fastest times on all of today’s nine stages gave Andrew Nesbitt and James O’Brien their first victory in the International Rally of the Lakes, round two of the Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac Championship.