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.

Wexford driver, Eamonn Boland set the pace on the opening four stages of the Murphy Construction Cork “20” Rally, the final round of the Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac Championship.

Eugene Donnelly and co-driver, Paul Kiely, have a 20-second lead at the conclusion of the first day of the Ordnance Survey/Gleneagle Hotel Rally of the Lakes.

MOTIVATION is not an issue for Andrew Nesbitt ahead of the Murphy Construction Cork “20” International Rally that is set to yield the Armagh ace his second Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac Championship title.

Killarney will play host to Ireland's leading drivers on May 4 and 5, when the International Rally of the Lakes returns to the sporting calendar, after a year's absence due to the foot-and-mouth scare.