Irish rallying reaches a watershed this weekend with the Acesigns Signmakers Cork “20” International Rally that begins tomorrow.

Knowing exactly what was required, it was a case of precision rather than pace that helped Cork driver Owen Murphy land his second National Forest title in three years as his fourth place points finish on the Glens of Antrim Rally secured the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Craig Breen’s barren run in the European Rally Championship continued yesterday on the opening leg of the final round, the Tour de Corse, when the Waterford driver retired his Peugeot 208 T16 on the day’s penultimate stage-

Motorsport: Three young drivers — Josh Moffett, Owen Murphy and Desi Henry — will battle it out in tomorrow’s Glens of Antrim Rally to become the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally champion.

Having led the Tour de Corse, round five of the European Rally Championship, for the opening three stages, Irish pair Craig Breen/Paul Nagle in the Sainteloc Peugeot 207 S2000 are in recovery mode after a time-consuming puncture on the fourth of yesterday’s six stages.

The changing dynamic within the Topaz Donegal International Rally brings a different expectation as Irish Tarmac Championship leader Darren Gass (S10 Subaru WRC) drives away from the Letterkenny start ramp this morning.

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.

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

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 performance of reigning World Rally Academy champion, Craig Breen, will be monitored closely on the Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the World Rally Championship that begins today.

NEXT year’s Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally is one of four new rounds in the global Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series.

CONCERNS are growing about the future of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

Petter Solberg saluted his successor as world champion after Sebastien Loeb became just the second Frenchman to take the title.

Sebastien Loeb is dreaming of winning the world championship with victory on home soil in this weekend’s Tour de Corse.