The Joule Donegal International Rally that begins this afternoon is the best-supported event within the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship and also the only three-day event in Irish rallying.

Five-time Northern Ireland Rally champion Derek McGarrity S14 Subaru WRC heads the entry for tomorrow’s eight stage tarmac Ryan Bradley Memorial Tour of Sperrins Rally in Maghera, County Derry.

The Moonraker Rally in Ballyvourney and the Rally de Portugal may not have that much in common other than gravel surfaces, but both have a tangible link with former triple British rally champion Keith Cronin.

Top seed and leader of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship Michael O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) can expect a stern test in tomorrow’s Donegal Forest Rally, the second round of the campaign.

London-based Churchtown driver Michael O’Brien and fellow north Cork co-driver James O’Brien from Dromtarriffe survived some late drama to win the Carrick on Suir based Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the first round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Motorsport: A new season of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship is marked by a very competitive entry for tomorrow’s Donegal Forest Rally in Pettigoe.

Motorsport.

The Dunlop National Rally Championship will be decided tomorrow, with the nine-stage Downings Bay Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally determining whether reigning Dunlop champion Declan Boyle, current leader Clonmel’s Roy White (MG ZR) or Welsh ace Hugh Hunter (Subaru WRC) will win the prestigious Vard Memorial Trophy.

In contrast to last year when Declan Boyle clinched the Dunlop National Rally Championship at the Clonmel-based Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, the Donegal driver will journey to South Tipperary this weekend to keep his current title bid alive.

The Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3 WRC) made a bright start to Rally Poland – round seven of the World Rally Championship – and hold third place, seven seconds behind the VW Polo WRC of leaders Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia heading into today’s seven stages.

Nama has obtained a €50.7m judgment against a building firm in Co Cork, plus judgment orders for €9.6m against two of its directors.

Past and present Billy Coleman award winners dominate the 100-strong entry list for today’s Carlow Rallysprint at Mondello Park.

These are busy times for Cork racing ace Matt Griffin.

The West Limerick Forest Rally, the opening round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, ended with a dramatic final stage victory for County Down’s, Philip Morrow and co-driver, Johnny Hart.

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.

As the Irish rallying season begins to wind down with just three events remaining, including the popular Banna Rally and the Killarney Historic Rally, some rules are set to be clarified for the 2013 season.

Revival is the central theme to the weekend events in both rallying and racing.

On what was his first rally in over eight months, Wexford’s James Stafford, in his rear wheel drive Darrian T90 GTR, took a well-earned victory in the Kilkenny-based Raven’s Rock Rally.

Although not a round of the Dunlop series, tomorrow’s Kilkenny-based Raven’s Rock Rally has still attracted an entry in excess of 100 crews along with 18 competitors in the junior category.

Garry Jennings (Subaru 555), current leader of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, could take a major step towards the title in tomorrow’s Mallow-based Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally.

The quality of the entry for tomorrow’s Carrick on Suir based Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Forest National Rally Championship bodes well for the series that earlier this week wrapped up a television deal.

The revamped Dunlop National Rally Championship begins on Sunday with the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally and a capacity entry for the nine stages around Rathdowney.

THE Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship heralds the beginning of the Irish rally season tomorrow with the Abbey Hotel Donegal Forest Rally making its debut in the series.

A CASE of back to the forests for the title protagonists of this season’s Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship that resumes tomorrow after an extended break due to the cancellation of the fourth round in Donegal last month.

ALEX SINCLAIR, chief executive of Motorsport Ireland, has urged the bosses of GAA, soccer and rugby to be directly involved at the grassroots of their sport.

REVIVED just three years ago, tomorrow’s Tyre Stop Kerry Rallysprint has already found a perfect niche in the motorsport calendar.

WITH victory in the opening two rounds of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, Cork driver Owen Murphy aims to continue the trend in Sunday’s third round, the Lismore-based Munster Moonraker Forest Rally.

TOMORROW’S second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, the Willie Loughman Carrick-on-Suir Rally features the participants that served up a cracking tussle on the opening round in Mitchelstown a few weeks ago.

WITH the dawning of a new era in the World Rally Championship, one question remains pertinent — who can break Sebastien Loeb’s dominance? World champion since 2004, the unflappable French ace bids to continue his amazing WRC record as Rally Sweden begins in earnest today following last night’s super special at the city’s trotting track in Karlstad.

ONE lucky lady will get a taste of a life of glitz and glamour by starring in an up-and-coming Irish singer’s debut music video.

THE affiliated clubs of Motorsport Ireland are set to receive the Way Forward document, hot on the heels of the governing body’s General Code of Conduct contained in this month’s Motorsport Bulletin.

HORSEPOWER of a different variety will reverberate at the Tralee Racecourse tomorrow for the Tyre Stop Kerry Rallysprint.

ALEX SINCLAIR, the chief executive of Motorsport Ireland resigned yesterday in the midst of the dispute that has rocked Irish motorsport and threatens the future of rallying.

TAKING the lead after the first stage, former national rally champion, Ray Breen, driving a Ford Focus WRC, secured an emphatic victory in the Lismore based Munster Moonraker Rally, round four of the Hankook Tyres Irish Forest Championship.

Former national rally champion, Ray Breen, co-driven by his son, Craig, in their Ford Focus WRC, won the Carrick-on-Suir based Willie Loughman forest rally, the second round of the Hankook Tyres National Forest Championship.

Increasing their lead over the closing stages, Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh won the Mitchelstown-based Sean Conlon Memorial Forest Rally in their Ford Focus WRC today.

Kilkenny’s Ray Breen notched up his first major rally success today by winning the Suirway Forklifts Raven’s Rock Rally in Waterford.

Leading from the start, Kevin Lynch and Francis Regan (Subaru WRC) won the Midleton Park Hotel Moonraker Rally, round four of the McCauley Trailers Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Fastest on all three timed runs, Sean Gallagher/Enda Sherry (Escort Cosworth) were comfortable winners of the Banna Beach Hotel/Kingdom Fast Fit Kerry Single Stage Rally.

After four stages of the Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, the seventh round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, Jim Harrison and co-driver Harvey Bell in the McKinstry prepared Subaru WRC have a 20 second advantage over the Subaru of Patrick Elliott/David Moynihan.

LEADERS from more than a dozen countries yesterday put aside disputes over Iraq to thank the Allied forces who fought one of the most decisive military battles ever in the D-Day invasion that broke Nazi Germany's grip on Europe.

ALMOST a year to the day since it went to market, Belline House in Co Kilkenny has been sold, for close to €4 million.

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.