Midway through the Mill Park Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally, the penultimate round of the Dunlop National rally championship, Tim NcNulty/Eugene O’Donnell (Subaru WRC) have a commanding lead of a minute and 16 seconds as Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Subaru) hold the advantage in the chase for the Dunlop Championship.

After the opening loop of three stages in the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally, the third round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, both Monaghan’s, Niall Maguire and Cavan’s, Patrick Elliott in Subaru WRC’s share the lead with the Hyundai WRC of Cahal Arthurs a mere second adrift in third.

Former Irish Tarmac Champion, Kenny McKinstry and co-driver, Noel Orr, in a Subaru WRC won the Roush Manx Rally.

Wexford’s Eamonn Boland is set to debut his 'Step 2' Mitsubishi on the Monaghan Rally, the second round of the Dunlop Championship in two weeks time.

Seeding for next week’s Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland Rally was announced earlier today at Belfast’s Odyssey Pavilion. Five times Irish Tarmac Championship, Austin MacHale will head the entry in his Sanyo Ford Focus WRC as he seeks his first International victory in some five years.

It was a good day for Irish drivers in the Bournemouth based Rallye Sunseeker, the opening round of the Kumho National Rally Championship.

Finland’s, Tapio Laukkanen was never headed throughout today’s six stages of the second and final day of the Trackrod Rally in Yorkshire.

At the end of the first leg of the Trackrod Rally, Finland's Tapio Laukkanen, on board his Subaru WRC has a slim 5.9 second lead over fellow countryman and teenage sensation, Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Focus WRC).

Finnish driver, Tapio Laukkanen and Jari-Matti Latvala occupy the top two places in the Trackrod Rally in the Yorkshire forests as Ireland’s, Austin MacHale and co-driver, Brain Murphy maintain fourth place.

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