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.

There are events that will always buck the trend in Irish rallying and this weekend’s Quality Hotel West Cork Rally, the opening rounds of the Irish Tarmac Championship and the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship is a prime example.

The departure of Citroen Racing World Rally Championship team principal Yves Matton has increased speculation as to the future of the French outfit in the WRC. 

Motorsport

Overcoming the challenging and intricate route of the Carbery Navigation Trial in Leap, west Cork, the Lissarda/Drinagh duo of Donal Healy/Denis O’Donovan (Toyota Starlet) took a hard earned victory. 

Second fastest through yesterday’s shakedown stage for RallyRACC Catalunya - Rally de Espana, round 11 of the World Rally Championship, Irish pair Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle spearhead Citroen’s challenge for the three-day encounter.

Cavan’s Gary Kiernan (Escort) and his Limerick co-driver Keith Moriarty took a late victory in the Midleton based Imokilly Rally, round four of the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship after long time leaders Jonathan Pringle/James Fulton (Escort) crashed out of the lead on the penultimate stage.

Is there a lesson to be gained for Irish rally organisers from Sunday’s Midleton based Imokilly Rally? 

With his sixth victory of the season Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (27) clinched the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with a comfortable victory in the FAAC Simply Automatic/Sligo Park Hotel Rally.

With four rounds completed Sam Moffett (Ford Focus WRC) is marching towards success in the Triton National Rally Championship.

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.

Although Donagh Kelly’s debut in a Ford Fiesta R5 lasted just shy of the halfway mark in the Grizedale Rally in Cumbria, the Donegal driver was impressed with the car and has vowed to give it consideration in his plans for next season.

Former National and Irish Tarmac champion Donagh Kelly will sample a Fiesta R5 in competitive mode for the first time tomorrow at the Grizedale Rally in the forests of Cumbria.

The Abu Dhabi Total WRT that includes Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle and Craig Breen/Scott Martin complete their competitive season on Wales Rally GB that begins today. 

Donegal cousins Declan Boyle and Brian Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC) blitzed the opposition in the Martin Howley Donegal Harvest Rally in Killybegs, the final round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Donegal cousins, Declan and Brian Boyle (Fiesta WRC), won the Hyundai Limerick Motor Centre Clare Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

The only missing element to Roy White’s Triton Showers National Rally Championship victory is an event win in a round of the series. 

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.

Cavan’s Jonathan Pringle (Ford Escort) and co-driver James Fulton took a controlled victory on the Midleton-based Imokilly Rally, round four of the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship.

Racing driver Jake Byrne has abandoned his Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year programme with immediate effect after it appears he is unhappy with his UK Formula Ford campaign - the prize for winning the prestigious award.

Cork driver Matt Griffin and his AF Corse team-mates Duncan Cameron and Aaron Scott had to be content with sixth spot in the LMGTE category of yesterday’s 4 Hours of Imola, the second round of the European Le Mans Series that ended under the safety car due to incessant rain.

Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) won the Dickson Insurance Fivemiletown Spring Rally in Tyrone. Co-driven by Jason McKenna, they finished 48 seconds ahead of the Mitsubishi of Omagh’s Mark Donnelly/Stephen O’Hanlon. Another Omagh crew, Niall McCullagh/Ryan McCloskey (Mitsubishi Evo VI) were third.

Dubliner Robert Barrable, better known for his rallying forays, will compete in this season’s British GT Championship where he will team up Northern Ireland’s Wilson Thompson in a Team HARD-prepared Ginetta G55 GT4.

A passion for motorsport engendered by rally icon Billy Coleman has inspired Cork native John Campion to assist a group of young talented drivers.

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

The intricacies of a farmyard lane network proved to be a major factor in the Carbery Navigation Trial in Leap in West Cork where the Ovens/Drinagh duo of Donal Healy/Denis O’Donovan (Toyota Starlet) triumphed to move into the lead of the Munster Navigation Trial Championship.

Tomorrow night’s Carbery Navigation Trial in Leap in West Cork is the second round of the Munster Navigation Trial Championship. Local crews will be expected to dominate the 115km event although Limerick’s Alan Shinnors and George Shinnors (Subaru), who won last week’s Cork Startrek Navigation Trial, should again be to the forefront.

Dubliner Willie Coyne (Vauxhall Nova) emulated brother Noel by clinching the McLoughlin’s Industrial Flooring Irish Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park yesterday.

Aiming to win the Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally for an unprecedented fourth time, Daragh O’Riordan (Ford Fiesta WRC) heads a close-to- capacity entry for what is the final counter in the Tritons Showers National Rally Championship and the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 series.

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) crowned a magnificent season with victory on the Acesigns Signmakers Cork “20” International Rally, the final round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship.

Motorsport

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.

Warrenpoint driver Peadar Hurson secured a splendid victory in the 4x4 Exporter Galway Summer Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

The timing of a press release from the Donegal Motor Club on Wednesday lunchtime stating its intention to continue as part of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship is hugely surprising.

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.

Local hero Garry Jennings (Subaru EWRC) heads up the entry for the Todd’s Leap Ulster Rally that begins this afternoon in Enniskillen.

Former National Rally champion, Warrenpoint’s Peadar Hurson (Subaru WRC), and his Monaghan co-driver Damien Connolly took a start to finish victory in the POC NI Distribution Tyrone Rally.