Immersed in a test programme with Citroen’s new challenger for the 2017 World Rally Championship, this weekend’s Rally Finland, round eight of the WRC, offers the Irish crew of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle the opportunity to return to competitive action in the Abu Dhabi Total WRT-run Citroen DS3 WRC to pit their skills against the WRC regulars.

Waterford’s Craig Breen (26) will defend his Circuit of Ireland title against opposition that includes European Rally Champion and last year’s event runner-up Kajetan Kajetanowicz along with former triple British rally champion Keith Cronin and Ulster driver Alastair Fisher.

McNulty, the first driver to win both National and Irish Tarmac titles in the same season, will make a competitive return to rallying on next month’s Corrib Oil Galway International Rally.

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

The most prestigious award in Irish motor racing, the Leinster Trophy, awaits the winner of Sunday’s Formula Ford race in Mondello Park. Drivers like John Watson, Eddie Jordan, Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen have all lifted the famous trophy at the Kildare venue and on Sunday Meath’s Stephen Daly will be hoping to retain the trophy for another 12 months.

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 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 Moffett sibling rivalry is set to dominate Sunday’s Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally in Clonmel, following the late entry of the elder brother Sam.

Pressure is something Tyrone’s Kris Meeke reckons he has handled for most of his rallying career.

In a week where the FIA announced changes to the World Rally Championship for 2017, the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Organisers (TROA) were hit with a backlash to their proposed rule changes for 2016 — a ban on the current World Rally Cars from winning the series — with the announcement that the Donegal International Rally was withdrawing from the series.

Donagh Kelly’s record in this season’s Triton Showers National Rally Championship is near perfect.

Five-time Northern Ireland Rally champion Derek McGarrity S14 Subaru WRC heads the entry for tomorrow’s eight stage tarmac Ryan Bradley Memorial Tour of Sperrins Rally in Maghera, County Derry.

An early Christmas present — that is how Waterford’s Craig Breen described the announcement that will see him remain with Peugeot Sport next season and along with tackling the European Rally Championship (ERC) campaign, he will also compete in seven rounds of the WRC2 category within the World Rally Championship.

Although not exactly threadbare, Declan Boyle’s title aspirations in the Dunlop National Rally Championship hinge on securing maximum points from all three remaining rounds.

Although Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (pictured) is officially listed to drive his usual Mitsubishi EvoIX at Sunday’s Sligo Rally, the 22-year-old will make his debut in the Ford Fiesta WRC his brother Sam drove to victory in the Rally of the Lakes last May.

A decision on the inclusion of the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally as a counting round of the Irish Tarmac Championship is still awaited.

The make-up of next season’s Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is one of the main topics on the Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA) agenda in Dublin on Sunday.

Irish drivers, Robert Barrable and Keith Cronin had contrastingfortunes in their respective outings in the Barum Czech Rally Zlin (Czech Republic) and Rallye Terre de Lozere (France).

For many, the Irish Tarmac Championship (ITC) is at a crossroads; for more, it’s going down a cul de sac and others, it’s on a journey to nowhere.

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship celebrated its 50th different winner of a round of its series since its inception in 1978 when Darren Gass won last weekend’s Safety Direct Galway International Rally, the opening round of the 2012 campaign.

Irish Tarmac Rally champion Tim McNulty welcomes the challenge of Sunday’s Safety Direct Galway International Rally, the opening round of the series.

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

IT’S a case of experience against youth for the top two seeds in this weekend’s Donnelly Group/UTV Drive Circuit of Ireland Rally.

IT seems there is no room for manoeuvre in the Irish Motorsport calendar that cannot accommodate the re-scheduling of its more high profile events.

Inheriting the lead on today's third stage of the final leg of the Dick Bailey Wexford Rally, last year's winner PJ McGrath (Subaru) went on to net back-to-back victories.

THE Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA) meet in Dublin on Sunday against the backdrop of a changing demographic in the Irish Tarmac Championship. The top contenders in the ITC have stated that the series should continue without any dramatic changes.

ROUNDS of the Irish Tarmac, National and British Rally Championships take centre stage over three days beginning today with the former and the latter dovetailing on the Rally Isle of Man International.

FORMER team manager to Billy Coleman, Mayo-based Tom Walsh has been appointed as clerk of the course for Rally Ireland’s debut in the 2007 World Rally Championship.

THE start of the Irish Tarmac Championship looms — beginning with the Galway International Rally — and Pirelli Tyres are the series sponsor.

Former national rally champions, Peadar Hurson and Ian Porter, in their Toyota Celica ST205, are the early leaders of the Cedar Hotel Wexford Rally.