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.

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.

Craig Breen makes no secret of his desire to win the Discover Northern Ireland Circuit of Ireland Rally, which cranks into action this morning, doubling as round three of the European Rally Championship and also the third round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship.

Dean Raftery is ready to make his mark in the World Rally Championship after being honoured at the Irish Motorsport Awards yesterday.

By Will Downing

Galway’s Dean Raftery and Monaghan’s Daniel McKenna and Stephen Wright have been shortlisted for the 2012 Billy Coleman Award with a top prize of €50,000.

EUROPE’S top cross-country runner, Fionnuala Britton will be one of the favourites for the gold medal when she leads the Irish women’s team into next month’s European cross-country championships in Slovenia.

JOE SWEENEY strengthened his stranglehold on the domestic cross-country scene when he produced another powerful front-running display to retain his Woodies DIY inter-counties title at Sligo Racecourse yesterday.

OVER two years since he last competed, five times Irish Tarmac champion Austin MacHale makes a return to action behind the wheel of a BMW M3 on Sunday.

SHANE QUINN is set to continue his amazing streak of victories when he contests the intermediate 3,000m at the Irish Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore this morning.

CRAIG Murphy (Douglas Community School) ended two years of frustration when winning the senior boys’ title at the KitKat Irish Schools Cross-Country Championships at Dartfield Equestrian Centre, Loughrea on Saturday.