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.

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.

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.

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.

IT’S a case of experience against youth for the top two seeds in this weekend’s Donnelly Group/UTV Drive Circuit of Ireland Rally.

FORD’S challenger in the new look World Rally Championship, the Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, was launched at the Autosport Show at the NEC in Birmingham yesterday.

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.

SEVERAL championships unfold over the weekend against a backdrop of well-subscribed entries. The Dunlop National Rally Championship curtain-raiser, the Abbey Court Hotel Nenagh Rally that also counts towards the Top Part West Coast Championship and the Dunlop Junior Championship, has attracted over 150 crews.

With all 108 seats filled in the Northern Ireland Assembly the party shares are:

Tommy Kiely, driving a Ford Escort, took a comfortable victory in the Cashel Single Stage Rally. At the finish of the three timed runs he had a 32 second winning margin over the Escort of James Coleman.

Michael Barrable, in his Subaru WRC, leads the Monaghan Rally, the second round of the Dunlop

The overall title may have been decided, but the battle is still very much on as the M.E.Crowe Northern Ireland Rally Championship heads into the forests of Co Antrim for the grand finale - the Toshiba Rally.