There is a noticeable decline in the level of entries for most Irish rallies with some organising clubs struggling to run their events without incurring losses. Some events are down 30 to 40 entries compared to previous seasons with scarcely any club having maximum entries as was the case in former years.

Motorsport Ireland chief executive Alex Sinclair is confident that a ruling from the European Court of Justice - which has the potential to have detrimental effects for motorsport across the EU - will be amended.

Andrew Purcell (Mitsubishi) is likely to be the barometer of the pace on Sunday’s Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the first round of the Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship.

Little over a year ago, Irish karting was hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

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.

At first glance, the Irish motorsport calendar is a list of more than 220 events at various locations involving several spectrums of the sport.

The site where two people were killed in a rally accident on Sunday was not included in safety checks as officials believed it did not pose any danger.

Motorsport Ireland has said that it is carrying out a full review of yesterday's crash during a rally in Cavan which claimed the lives of two people.

A female rally co-driver and a sports photographer were killed today when a car ploughed into the crowd at a road race.

Knowing that every second counts, Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan is favourite to win the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally this weekend.

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.

THE continuing dispute between Motorsport Ireland and the breakaway group – Kart Ireland — took another twist this week after the governing body opted out of a planned meeting of both parties with the track owners due to take place yesterday.

MOTORSPORT IRELAND has agreed a two-year plan to keep karting in its jurisdiction and will invest €25,000 each year.

Waterford’s Craig Breen has won the World Rally Championship Academy title after a dramatic last day at Rally Great Britain.

OVER two years since he last competed, five times Irish Tarmac champion Austin MacHale makes a return to action behind the wheel of a BMW M3 on Sunday.

ALTHOUGH senior officials of Motorsport Ireland (MI) met with FIA vice-president Mohammed Ben Sulayem last week, a return for Rally Ireland as a round of the World Rally Championship is still based on the availability of finance.

ORGANISERS of the Kenmare Historic Rally are monitoring the weather conditions ahead of their event on Sunday.

ALEX SINCLAIR, the chief executive of Motorsport Ireland resigned yesterday in the midst of the dispute that has rocked Irish motorsport and threatens the future of rallying.

THE duo responsible for securing Ireland’s entry to the World Rally Championship, Sean O’Connor and Ronan Morgan are to stand down from the promotion and management of Rally Ireland at the end of this month.