Although four crews were within a two-second time frame after the opening stage of the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Forest Rally in Ballyvourney, (round three of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship), all changed a stage later as Derry’s Marty McCormack and his Mallow co-driver David Moynihan powered their Tiger Risk Partners Skoda Fabia R5 into a 28.9 second lead which laid the foundation for overall victory.

Taking the lead on the sixth stage, Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) and co-driver Stephen Thornton won the Silvermines-based Treaty Plant Hire Limerick Forest Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Dovetailing as rounds of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship and the Northern Ireland Rally Championship, tomorrow’s Bushwhacker Rally, in Omagh, has a cracking field.

Another Moffett win, but, this time, it was the younger sibling, Josh: he won the Enniskillen-based Trailer Parts and Spares Lakeland Forest Rally, the penultimate round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship and a round of the Northern Ireland Rally series.

It’s already a memorable season for Monaghan’s Sam Moffett and it can get even better as he edges closer to becoming the first ever driver to win all three major Irish rallying championships in the same season. 

Not surprisingly, Derry’s Marty McCormack and his Mallow co-driver David Moynihan in their Tiger Risk liveried Skoda Fabia R5 ran out comfortable winners of the Donegal Forest Rally, round three of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

The Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship is likely to have a new leader after tomorrow’s Abbey Hotel Donegal Forest Rally, the third round of the campaign as series leader and former champion Josh Moffett has withdrawn his entry due to business commitments.

Although victory in the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally wasn’t the ultimate goal for Ballylickey’s Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin (Ford Fiesta R5), they secured a fine win with a measured and composed drive that provided the perfect preparation for their next outing in the British Rally Championship in three weeks time.

Rallying across the three Irish championships is a rare feat but one Monaghan’s Sam Moffett is accomplishing.

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) and co-driver Emmet Sherry led from flagfall to win the Murroe based Lyons of Limerick Forest Rally the penultimate round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

The sibling rivalry between Monaghan’s Sam and Josh Moffett scaled new heights on the Tuffmac Trailers Lakeland Rally, the fifth round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship in Enniskillen.

The Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship went down to the final stage of the final round, the Glens of Antrim Rally, where fourth place was enough for Monaghan’s Josh Moffett to lift the crown after his only title rival, former champion Michael O’Brien, slid his Ford Focus WRC off the track towards the end of the final stage.

Yet another Moffett show, the latest episode on the TuffMac Trailers Lakeland Rally, round five of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship saw the Monaghan born brothers Sam and Josh dominate proceedings during Saturday’s eight stages in the forests of west Fermanagh.

With consistent performances on the opening four rounds of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, London-based Cork driver Michael O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) makes another trip across the Irish Sea for tomorrow’s TuffMac Trailers Lakeland Rally in Enniskillen. The event also counts towards the Northern Ireland McGrady Insurance and Carryduff Forklift Championship.

The fourth round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally in Mallow, proved to be an epic contest between Cork driver Owen Murphy (Mitsubishi) and his Limerick co-driver Anthony Nestor, who managed to overcome the spirited challenge of Monaghan’s Jost Moffett/John Rowan (Mitsubishi) to claim a 7.4 second victory.

The Moonraker Rally in Ballyvourney and the Rally de Portugal may not have that much in common other than gravel surfaces, but both have a tangible link with former triple British rally champion Keith Cronin.

Craig Breen makes no secret of his desire to win the Discover Northern Ireland Circuit of Ireland Rally, which cranks into action this morning, doubling as round three of the European Rally Championship and also the third round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship.

Moving into the lead on the second stage, the Waterford/Cork pairing of Andrew Purcell/Liam Brennan brought their Kumho shod Mitsubishi EvoIX to victory in the Donegal Forest Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Top seed and leader of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship Michael O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) can expect a stern test in tomorrow’s Donegal Forest Rally, the second round of the campaign.

London-based Churchtown driver Michael O’Brien and fellow north Cork co-driver James O’Brien from Dromtarriffe survived some late drama to win the Carrick on Suir based Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the first round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Motorsport: A new season of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship is marked by a very competitive entry for tomorrow’s Donegal Forest Rally in Pettigoe.

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.

Boosted by their podium finish on Rally Finland, Tyrone’s Kris Meeke pictured and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle will push for another big result on the ADAC Rallye Deutschland that begins today in Trier.

Waterford’s Craig Breen is one of the favourites to land this season’s European Rally Championship title and is top seed for tomorrow’s Rally Liepaja event in Latvia using a Peugeot 207 S2000.

Irish motorsport is in the middle of its award season and sandwiched between last week’s Dunlop presentation and tomorrow night’s Valvoline Irish Forest Championship ceremony were the interviews for the prestigious Billy Coleman award.

There was a dramatic finish to the Sean Conlon Memorial Rally, round four of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship in Mitchelstown as Lisburn’s, Philip Morrow and co-driver, Simon Morrow (Mitsubishi) edged out Cork pair, Owen Murphy/James O’Brien (Mitsubishi) by three seconds.

The West Limerick Forest Rally, the opening round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, ended with a dramatic final stage victory for County Down’s, Philip Morrow and co-driver, Johnny Hart.

Cork-born racing driver Matt Griffin has signed for the Silverstone-based Ram Racing and will contest the European Le Mans Series (ELMS).

Organisers are stepping up their promotion of the Willie Loughman Memorial Forestry Rally.

As the Irish rallying season begins to wind down with just three events remaining, including the popular Banna Rally and the Killarney Historic Rally, some rules are set to be clarified for the 2013 season.

The penultimate round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship and the final round of the CarryduffForklift Northern Ireland Rally Championship dovetail on tomorrow’s Omagh-based McKelvey Bushwhacker Rally that has attracted 100 entries.

Although not included in the original seeded lists for tomorrow’s Sligo Rally or Sunday’s Sean Conlon Memorial Forest Rally in Mitchelstown, the in-form Garry Jennings is likely to contest both events, although in different cars.

The weekend events north and south of the border provide an interesting contrast.

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.

Reigning champion Kenny McKinstry heads the entry for tomorrow’s Magic Bullet Rally at the Kirkistown Race Circuit for the beginning of the DGM/Carryduff Forklift Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

SPECULATION is rife that next year’s Circuit of Ireland Rally will be included in the global Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series.

THE Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship could be decided in tomorrow’s Omagh-based Bushwhacker Rally, the penultimate round of both the Irish series and the Hankook Northern Ireland Rally Championship.