Kilkenny driver Enda O’Brien powered his 2.5-litre engine Ford Escort to victory in the Germaine’s of Baltinglass Rally in Wicklow. 

The popularity of Sunday’s Germaine’s of Baltinglass Hotel Rally is reflected by an entry of 130 competitors that will be led away by top seed and favourite Kilkenny’s Enda O’Brien (Ford Escort).

Second fastest through yesterday’s shakedown stage for RallyRACC Catalunya - Rally de Espana, round 11 of the World Rally Championship, Irish pair Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle spearhead Citroen’s challenge for the three-day encounter.

Cork driver Keith Cronin in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 faces a difficult task in winning a fourth British Rally Championship crown that will be decided over the two-leg 138.com Rally Isle of Man that began last night.

Cavan’s Gary Kiernan (Escort) and his Limerick co-driver Keith Moriarty took a late victory in the Midleton based Imokilly Rally, round four of the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship after long time leaders Jonathan Pringle/James Fulton (Escort) crashed out of the lead on the penultimate stage.

Is there a lesson to be gained for Irish rally organisers from Sunday’s Midleton based Imokilly Rally? 

One of the most popular events in Irish rallying, the Rose Hotel Circuit of Kerry is a perfect illustration of the current difficulties within Irish rallying.

Although not endemic within rallying, illegal reconnaissance is still a concern.

Racing driver Jake Byrne has abandoned his Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year programme with immediate effect after it appears he is unhappy with his UK Formula Ford campaign - the prize for winning the prestigious award.

Welsh driver Steve Wood (Subaru WRC) and his Limerick co-driver Keith Moriarty took a start to finish victory in the Rathkeale House Hotel Circuit of Munster Rally.

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.

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.

The Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship went down to the final stage of the final round, the Glens of Antrim Rally, where fourth place was enough for Monaghan’s Josh Moffett to lift the crown after his only title rival, former champion Michael O’Brien, slid his Ford Focus WRC off the track towards the end of the final stage.

Meath driver Stephen Daly became only the fifth ever driver to make a successful defence of the famed Leinster Trophy.

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.

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.

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.

The Donegal/Derry combination of Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Ford Focus WRC) continued their dominance of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with a facile victory on the Deebert House Hotel Circuit of Munster Rally that was based in Kilmallock.

Donagh Kelly - the dominant driver in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship - will again be the one to beat in Sunday’s fourth round Circuit of Munster Rally.

Although they led the Tralee-based Fels Point Circuit of Kerry Rally from the start, the Kerry/Cork duo of Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy in the Munster Joinery liveried S12B Subaru WRC had to push hard through the final stage to ensure victory.

Former Irish National and Tarmac Group N champion, Kerry’s Alan Ring, admits that it’s taking him time to adjust the power and pace of the Mel Evans S12B Subaru WRC. 

Motorsport: Three young drivers — Josh Moffett, Owen Murphy and Desi Henry — will battle it out in tomorrow’s Glens of Antrim Rally to become the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally champion.

With their fourth win of the campaign Donegal’s Declan Boyle/Brian Boyle (Subaru WRC) remain in contention to win back-to-back Dunlop titles.

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

Dunlop champion Declan Boyle is an absentee from Sunday’s third round encounter the Seven Oaks Hotel Carlow Rally.

A two-minute road penalty cost Waterford’s Craig Breen (Peugeot 207 S2000) the overnight lead in the Rallye International du Valais in Switzerland, the final round of the European Rally Championship.

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.

There is a strong Irish presence in the Jim Clark International Rally, the second round of British Rally Championship, that begins with a stage around the streets of Duns in the Scottish borders this evening.

There was a dramatic finish to the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty, with Carrigaline’s Brian O’Mahony and Mayo co-driver John Higgins (Subaru WRC) coming through to take the honours.

UNDER pressure throughout the event, Waterford’s, Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta) and his Welsh co-driver, Gareth Roberts were crowned the FIA WRC Academy Champions after clinching the title with victory in Rally GB, the final round of the series to claim the top prize worth €500,000.

THE Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (MINI WRC) begins today’s second leg of Rally GB, the final round of the World Rally Championship, in fifth place following a solid run through yesterday’s opening three stages.

SPECULATION is rife that next year’s Circuit of Ireland Rally will be included in the global Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series.

WITH an unbeaten record in the current Dunlop National Rally Championship, Tim McNulty, can clinch his first major title on Sunday’s eighth round of the series in Clare although he will need a little help from his rivals.

WHAT appeared to be a cracking entry for Sunday’s Kilkenny-based Suirway Farm Machinery Raven’s Rock Rally, the fifth round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, has been decimated by a series of withdrawals.

THE final round of this season’s Dunlop National Rally Championship, the Fastnet Rally, has a new base and headquarters at the Westlodge Hotel in Bantry.

A LATE entry from Armagh’s Darren Gass (Subaru WRC) has added extra spice to Sunday’s Carlton Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally in Tralee, the second round of the Top Part West Coast Championship.

TWO of Ireland’s most talented drivers, Waterford’s, Craig Breen and Fermanagh’s, Alastair Fisher compete in the WRC Academy series that begins this weekend alongside Rally Portugal, the third round of the World Rally championship.

WELSH ace Mel Evans (Subaru WRC) has already made Irish rallying history by becoming the first ever overseas driver to win the national rally series.

INTERCONTINENTAL Rally champions, Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle, bid farewell to the Peugeot UK team at this weekend’s Rally of Scotland.

ALTHOUGH Gareth MacHale (Ford Focus WRC) leads the Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship and is the best placed of four drivers to win the title, he is also the driver under most pressure ahead of this weekend’s final round, the Cork ‘20’ International Rally.

AS EXPECTED, Niall Maguire, driving his S10 Subaru WRC coasted to victory in the Ennis-based Auburn Lodge Clare Rally. Leading from the start and co-driven by Enda Sherry, he finished two minutes and 14 seconds ahead of the Ford Escort of Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery with Ed O’Callaghan/Ger Clancy, also in a Ford Escort, a further 10 seconds behind in third.