Tyre choice for the final pair of stages proved crucial and decisive as Ballylickey’s Daniel Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Shane Buckley won the Banna Beach Resort Kerry Winter Rally for the second time in three years.

Although it is almost a quarter of a century since Peadar Hurson won the National Rally Championship on board an Opel Ascona 400, the Warrenpoint driver remains a potent threat in Irish rallying.

Coping admirably with challenging conditions, the Fermanagh/Letterkenny partnership of Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Subaru WRC) were too good for the opposition as they netted a convincing victory in the Hotel Ballina/Kennedy Motors Mayo Rally, the first round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Banbridge driver Kenny McKinstry (Subaru WRC) with Kenny Hull calling the pacenotes won the Carey Cleaning Machines Icebreaker Rally in the forests of north Antrim.

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.

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.

The decision by Motorsport Ireland to phase out the one-time popular single stage rallies has worked in favour of one of the newest motor clubs in the country, the Imokilly Motor Club.

A broken anti-roll bar on the penultimate stage denied the Irish pair of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle a possible podium position on the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, where the Volkswagen Polo WRC team claimed the top three places.

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC), co-driven by Monaghan’s Conor Foley, coasted to v ictory in the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes in Killarney where they eased off on the closing stages to take the laurels. For Kelly, victory promoted him into the lead of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship.

In a close finish to the Modern Tyres Mourne Rally, round five of the Carryduff Forklifts Northern Ireland Rally Championship, Drew Stewart (Ford Escort) took a 12-second victory over the Mitsubishi of Andrew Stewart.

PRESENTLY enjoying a fine debut season in his Skoda Fabia S2000, Dubliner Robert Barrable has received an official invitation to compete in the Barum Rally (August 26-28) in the Czech Republic, round seven of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge series.

THE Quaife British Rallycross Championship and Summer Rallycross dovetail at Mondello Park on Sunday, where reigning Irish champion Tommy Graham will have plenty of opposition in the Supercar division.

WITH little room for error, Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) and co-driver, Paul Kiely were pushed all through the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally before claiming their fourth successive victory in the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Surviving an off road excursion on the opening stage that damaged the front of his Subaru WRC and suffering two punctures on the third stage, Maynooth's, Kevin Barrett, made a superb recovery to win the Galway Summer Rally, the eighth round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Derry's Eugene Donnelly and co-driver Paddy Toner (Skoda Fabia) have won the Circuit of Ireland Rally today.

Although each of the first four stages of the Circuit of Ireland Rally produced a different leader, Eugene Donnelly and his co-driver Paddy Toner were the dominant force throughout today's eight stages.

Patrick Elliott (Subaru WRC) secured the Dunlop National Rally Championship with a start to finish victory in today’s Athenry based Loughrea Plant Sales Galway Summer Rally, the eight round of the series.

Fastest through the evening’s final and longest stage, Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru) have an overnight lead of 18 seconds over Guy Wilks/David Moynihan (Mitsubishi) in the Rally Isle of Man International.

Tie-breaks were very much the theme on the Tralee based Fels Point Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally, the second round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Cavan’s, Patrick Elliott and his co-driver, Paul Goodman in their Subaru WRC won the Tralee-based Club Fabric Circuit of Kerry, the second round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Derry driver Kevin Lynch and co-driver Francis Regan were convincing winners of the Cork Forest Rally which concluded in Mallow this evening.

Local driver Adrian McElvaney and co-driver Paul Goodman won the Hillgrove Hotel Monaghan Rally today in their Subaru WRC.

The Castlebar-based TF Royal Hotel Mayo Rally was won by Derry driver, Charlie Donnelly today.

Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely in their Esker Toyota Corolla secured back-to-back victories on the First Choice Flooring Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Pirelli Irish Championship.

Extending his overnight advantage, Glen Allen and co-driver Damien Connolly, in their Toyota Corolla WRC, won the Cork Forest Rally today.

Northern Ireland’s Glen Allen, driving a Toyota Corolla, leads the Cork Forest Rally, the sixth round of the McCauley Trailers National Forest Championship.

Competing in a World Rally Car on gravel surface for the first time, Gareth MacHale made it a winning debut in the Carrick on Suir Forest Rally, round one of the McCauley Trailers National Forest Championship.

IT’S a venture into the unknown for Dubliner George Tracey, who competes in the Swedish Rally, the second round of the World Rally Championship, that begins today.

AS expected, Niall Maguire wrapped up the 2002 Dunlop National Rally Championship at the Clonmel Arms/FESP Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.

AS expected, Niall Maguire wrapped up the 2002 Dunlop National Rally Championship at the Clonmel Arms/FESP Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.

With Roy White/Michael Patterson bowing out of the Condroz Rally, the final event of the 2001 Belgian Championship, the top Irish crew at the end of the two day, 22 stage event was Seamus Heron and Gerry McVeigh.