The Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle finished second in the Wales Rally GB, the final round of the series.

With their Citroen DS3 WRC armed with several significant upgrades to the engine, suspension, aerodynamics and gearbox, the Irish crew of Meeke and Paul Nagle expect to be fighting for the leading places on Rallye Monte Carlo that cranks into gear this evening.

Irish pair Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in their Citroen DS3 WRC made a memorable start to the World Rally Championship and hold second overall after the opening day of an incident-filled Rallye Monte Carlo.

Cork racing ace Matt Griffin and team-mate Duncan Cameron took their AF Corse-run Ferrari 458 GT Italia to a second victory in this season’s International GT Open Championship at the Nurburgring, Germany.

On his debut in a recently acquired S12B Subaru World Rally Car, Donegal’s Declan Boyle took a dramatic victory in the Mor Oil Galway Summer Rally, round four of the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship.

Sebastien Loeb continued his dominance of the German Rally as he moved into a commanding lead on today’s second leg to stand on the brink of his ninth victory in this event.

Having punched in the third fastest time on yesterday’s opening stage of the Tour de Corse, round four of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Craig Breen suffered disappointment when his Sainteloc-run Peugeot 207 S2000 broke a driveshaft on the second stage as he lost touch with the leaders.

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.

Local hero and six-time winner Niall Maguire heads a capacity entry for Sunday’s Monaghan Rally that includes a 30k stage as part of a three-stage loop.

The second day of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal was one of carnage and chaos after the day’s final loop of stages were cancelled on safety grounds.

World Rally S2000 Championship leader Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta S2000) seeks to consolidate his position in Rally Sweden, which gets under way in earnest this morning.

WATERFORD’S Craig Breen (Fiesta S2000) made the best possible start to his SWRC title challenge with a category victory in the Monte Carlo Rally that was won by Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb.

EVEN though Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) leads the Monte Carlo Rally by a considerable margin, the world champion is taking nothing for granted given the vagaries of the weather and road conditions.

WITH five out of six fastest stage times, Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) extended his overall lead in the Monte Carlo Rally to a minute and 37.2 seconds as the battle for second between Dani Sordo (MINI WRC) and Petter Solberg (Fiesta WRC) hotted up.

WORLD champion Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) made the perfect start to his Monte Carlo Rally title defence as he ended the first day over a minute ahead of Dani Sordo (Mini WRC).

THE performance of reigning World Rally Academy champion, Craig Breen, will be monitored closely on the Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the World Rally Championship that begins today.

IRISH interest in next month’s Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the 2012 World Rally Championship, has been severely diluted as Tyrone’s Kris Meeke and his Kerry co-driver, Paul Nagle do not appear on the 89-strong entry list that was announced earlier this week.

IRISH drivers, Kris Meeke and Craig Breen will start today’s second leg of Rally Spain in sixth and 14th places respectively as Sebastien Loeb leads the way in the penultimate round of the World Rally Championship.

BRIDGING a 25-year gap, Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan (29) became the first Cork driver since Billy Coleman to win the Silver Springs Moran Hotel/Orchard Motorsport Cork “20 International Rally.

SECOND place doesn’t sit that comfortably with Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC), yet, for more than two thirds of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally, it was a position he held.

TEAMS will tackle six stages in Co Antrim this afternoon in their respective opening legs of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally and the Todds Leap International Rally Northern Ireland, part of the Irish Tarmac Rally and Dulux Trade British Rally championships.

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

Defending champion Sebastien Loeb looks set to win his second event of the current World Rally Championship season as he finished day two at the head of the field in Sardinia.

HAVING set the third fastest time on the second stage of Rally Italy in Sardinia, round five of the World Rally Championship, Irish pair Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle retired their MINI WRC on the following test whilst fourth overall.

THE most anticipated round of the World Rally Championship, the Rally Italy in Sardinia, has enormous Irish interest with the competition debut of the Mini John Cooper Works WRC.

The fifth round of the World Rally Championship in Sardinia will see the return of the Mini brand to the sport they dominated in the 1960s.

WITH the dawning of a new era in the World Rally Championship, one question remains pertinent — who can break Sebastien Loeb’s dominance? World champion since 2004, the unflappable French ace bids to continue his amazing WRC record as Rally Sweden begins in earnest today following last night’s super special at the city’s trotting track in Karlstad.

THE best-known rally in the world, the Monte Carlo Rally, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and the event has a great resonance for Irish competitors mostly initiated on Paddy Hopkirk’s victory in 1964.

BATTLING through wet and difficult conditions, reigning British Rally Champion, Keith Cronin, took an important and memorable victory in Rally Isle of Man, the fourth round of the Dulux Trade British Rally Championship.

KIMI RAIKKONEN is confident he is improving ahead of the fourth World Rally Championship event of the season in Turkey this weekend.

Sebastien Loeb has a 30-second lead over closest rival Mikko Hirvonen as he enters the final day of the World Rally Championship season in Wales.

Sebastien Loeb made the perfect start to his bid to secure his sixth straight World Rally Championship title by winning four of today’s six stages to lead by 5.3 seconds after day one of the Rally of Great Britain.

Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb collected his sixth win of the World Rally Championship season at the Rally Australia, closing the gap on title leader Mikko Hirvonen to a single point.

Mikko Hirvonen took his first win on home soil at the Rally of Finland today to extend his World Rally Championship lead over Sebastien Loeb to three points.

IN what is clearly their most difficult assignment to date, Irish pair Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle lie in sixth place heading to today’s final leg of Rali Vinho Madeira, the seventh round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

World Rally Championship rivals Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb enjoyed a thrilling battle for the lead on the first full day of the Rally of Finland.

Defending World Champion Sebastien Loeb showed his class winning all four of the morning stages to take the lead on day two of Rally Argentina.

Dani Sordo was the man to catch after the first day of the Rally Argentina after he won a thrilling battle with Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb on the opening leg.

Sebastien Loeb’s immaculate start to the World Rally Championship continued with victory on the Rally of Portugal, his fourth win out of four events in 2009.

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb increased his advantage in the Cyprus Rally by eight seconds after claiming another stage victory on the gravel roads around Limassol today.

Sebastien Loeb continued his perfect start to the new World Rally Championship season by taking victory on Rally Norway to deal a major blow to Ford’s title hopes.

SEBASTIEN LOEB holds the lead at the end of the opening day of the Rally of Norway, having moved ahead of Mikko Hirvonen on Friday’s final stage.