A case of third time lucky and with it the luck of the Irish as Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle took their Citroen C3 WRC to victory in Rally Mexico, round three of the World Rally Championship. 

Having failed to go the full distance in the opening two rounds of the World Rally Championship, the Irish duo of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3 WRC) seek better fortune on this weekend’s Rally Mexico, the first gravel event of the year. 

In his first full season on-board the FESP liveried Ford Fiesta WRC, Clonmel’s Roy White, the current leader of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship knows there are difficult times ahead as his rivals begin to apply the pressure.

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.

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.

There was double delight for Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) as he clinched the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship with victory in the Todd’s Leap Ulster Rally in Enniskillen. 

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

Motorsport

Despite having rolled their Citroen DS3 WRC seven times in yesterday’s shakedown stage, Tyrone’s Kris Meeke and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3R3) made it to the start of last evening’s Super Special in the Lotos 72nd Rally Poland, round seven of the World Rally Championship.

Antrim’s Derek McGarrity has secured his fifth Tour of Sperrins Rally win to extend his lead in the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

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.

The Moffett siblings Sam and Josh in identical Ford Fiesta WRC’s are part of an intriguing line-up for Sunday’s Monaghan Rally, round three of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Motorsport: Back to back victories in the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally are rare achievements.

The Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship breaks new ground this weekend as the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally makes its full debut in the series.

Motorsport: It’s six years since a Tarmac champion made a successful defence of the series.

Motorsport.

Boosted by their podium finish on Rally Finland, Tyrone’s Kris Meeke pictured and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle will push for another big result on the ADAC Rallye Deutschland that begins today in Trier.

The Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3 WRC) made a bright start to Rally Poland – round seven of the World Rally Championship – and hold third place, seven seconds behind the VW Polo WRC of leaders Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia heading into today’s seven stages.

Irish and Welsh contests are nothing new in the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally and Denis Cronin and Daragh O’Riordan will have Welsh ace Melvyn Evans as their most formidable opponent when the 13-stage event starts in Clonakilty tomorrow.

Leader of the Carryduff Forklift Northern Ireland Rally Championship, Antrim’s Derek McGarrity (Subaru WRC) has dual targets in tomorrow’s Newry based Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally.

The penultimate round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship and the final round of the CarryduffForklift Northern Ireland Rally Championship dovetail on tomorrow’s Omagh-based McKelvey Bushwhacker Rally that has attracted 100 entries.

Although not included in the original seeded lists for tomorrow’s Sligo Rally or Sunday’s Sean Conlon Memorial Forest Rally in Mitchelstown, the in-form Garry Jennings is likely to contest both events, although in different cars.

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.

Sitting in his little1.4-litre Ford, Eamonn McCafferty watched the high-powered rally cars hurtling away from the start line in an almost deafening roar.

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.

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.

FIVE times Irish Tarmac rally champion, Eugene Donnelly will make a dramatic return to the series behind the wheel of a Derek McGeehan run MINI WRC in next Month’s Safety Direct Galway International Rally.

CHRIS PATTERSON (41) will be the new partner for Norwegian driver Petter Solberg in the World Rally Championship. Early last month, Phil Mills, Solberg’s regular co-driver, stepped down from his role with the flamboyant Norwegian, who has 152 WRC starts including 13 wins and one world title.