Armagh’s Darren Gass (23) and his Monaghan co-driver, Enda Sherry in their S10 Subaru took a thrilling victory in the Safety Direct Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

Irish Tarmac Rally champion Tim McNulty welcomes the challenge of Sunday’s Safety Direct Galway International Rally, the opening round of the series.

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.

WITH the announcement of the 2011 Billy Coleman Award winner just days away, some of its former incumbents are busily planning for next season even though one driver is being coy about his plans.

IN a remarkable coincidence, the County Dublin village of Swords netted the young Driver of the Year awards for rallying and racing as Motorsport Ireland honoured its top achievers yesterday.

TALES of financial woe took a back seat yesterday as Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May took Dublin by storm in a Bugatti Veyron.

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.

TITLE contenders in both the Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship and the Dulux Trade British Rally Championship face similar tasks on this weekend’s penultimate rounds of the series, that while featuring the same stages, headquarters and service halts, will run under two different names.

IT’s the second oldest rally in the world and the most recognised event in Irish motorsport. As the UTV Drive Circuit of Ireland gets underway from Dundalk early tomorrow afternoon, it’s also the beginning of a new era.

YOUNG guns, Keith Cronin, 23, and Craig Breen, 20, represent the changing demographic of Irish rallying as the Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship gets underway tomorrow with the Safety Direct Galway International Rally.

Event victory in the Cork "20" International Rally for Gareth MacHale (Ford Focus) and a record equalling fifth Irish Tarmac Championship success were delivered in tandem today.

Gareth MacHale, driving a Ford Focus WRC, dominated today's nine stages of the opening leg of the Cork "20" International Rally, the final and deciding round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

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.

THE Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA) meet in Dublin on Sunday against the backdrop of a changing demographic in the Irish Tarmac Championship. The top contenders in the ITC have stated that the series should continue without any dramatic changes.

Eugene Donnelly (Toyota Corolla WRC) has won the Todds Leap.com Ulster International Rally, a counting round of both the Irish Tarmac Championship and the British Rally Championship.

The opening leg of the Todds Leap.com Ulster International Rally in Antrim was a classic contest mixed with drama through the day's six stages, where the lead changed several times.

Gareth MacHale, co-driven by Brian Murphy in their Ford Focus WRC have won the Letterkenny based Topaz Donegal International Rally.

Although they dropped time on today's opening stage, Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) have extended their advantage through the second leg of the Letterkenny based Topaz Donegal International Rally, that consisted of eight stages.

Gaining just a fraction of a second over their rivals on the opening stage, Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) went on to dominate the opening leg of six stages of the Letterkenny-based Topaz Donegal International Rally.

Derry's Eugene Donnelly and his co-driver, Paddy Toner, in a Skoda Fabia WRC, have won the Jim Clark Memorial Rally in Scotland.

IrishTarmac Championship leader, Eugene Donnelly in his Skoda Fabia WRC leads the Jim Clark Memorial Rally in Scotland after the conclusion of last night's six stages.

Tim McNulty and co-driver, David Moynihan in their Subaru WRC have taken a thrilling victory in the 30th anniversary Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney.

Today's seven stages of the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney saw very little between the top contenders as they battle for supremacy in this, the third round of the Irish Tarmac 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.

Dubliner, Gareth MacHale on board his Ford Focus WRC, heads up the entry for next week's Larsen Circuit of Ireland Rally where opposition includes a trio of drivers that have already won this iconic event.

Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Subaru WRC) have won the TF Royal Hotel & Theatre Mayo Rally, the second round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, that was based in Castlebar.

The second day of Rally Ireland was yet another display of domination from rally leader, Sebastien Loeb (Citroen C4 WRC).

Sebastien Loeb's lead at Rally Ireland over Citroen colleague Dani Sordo has increased to 1 minute 12 seconds after Saturday's first three stages across Tyrone and Fermanagh.

Rally Ireland kicked off the World Rally Championship in torrential rain, a new a season brings fresh hope but on today's six stages, Sebastien Loeb, the five-time World Rally champion, illustrated, yet again, that he's the one they all have to beat in '09.

The rest of the first day's action at Rally Ireland has been abandoned due to flooding.

A record-equalling fifth Irish Tarmac Championship title is one of Eugene Donnelly's goals this season.

At the end of the first leg of the Safety Direct Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Championship, Eamonn Boland (Subaru WRC) holds a 23.8 second lead over the similar car of Kevin Lynch.

Ireland are to make their competition debut in this year’s Race of Champions.

With their fifth victory of the season, Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey (Subaru WRC) have won the Murphy Construction/Weathermaster Cork '20' International Rally, the final round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship.

Newly crowned Irish Tarmac champions, Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Subaru WRC) hold a 20 second lead at the end of the opening day of the Murphy Construction Cork '20' International Rally.

Reigning Irish Tarmac champion, Eugene Donnelly and co-driver, Paul Kiely, lead the way at the end of the opening leg of the Topaz Donegal International Rally in Letterkenny.

There was a dramatic finish to the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland where Eamonn Boland (Subaru WRC) reeled in long time leader, Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) to take his third straight victory in a round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac series.

Meath's Tim McNulty, driving a Subaru WRC, leads the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland, the fourth round of the Irish Tarmac series and also a round of the British Rally Championship.

The team of Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey (Subaru WRC) have won the Ordnance Survey Rally of the Lakes in Killarney today.

Three drivers are involved in a titanic struggle for supremacy in the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, the third round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship.

An exciting finish to the Circuit of Ireland Rally resulted in a narrow 4.9 second victory for Wexford’s, Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Subaru WRC) who fended off the challenge of Gareth MacHale/Craig Parry (Ford Focus WRC).

Wexford’s Eamonn Boland and co-driver Damien Morrissey (Subaru WRC) continue to lead after the conclusion of the second leg of the Circuit of Ireland Rally today.

Wexford's Eamonn Boland and his co-driver, Damien Morrissey (Subaru WRC) lead the Circuit of Ireland Rally at the end of the first leg.