Motor Sport: Austin McHale and Brian Murphy, fresh from winning the opening round of the British Rally Championship, now chase victory in this weekend's Ordnance Survey International Rally of the Lakes.
But McHale will have to drive his Ford Focus WRC on the limit over the classic stages of the South West if he is to beat the top three seeds, Subaru crews Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien, last year's winners Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman, and 2003 winners Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely in a Toyota Corolla WRC.
Armagh driver Andrew Nesbitt is arguably the quickest of the current Irish drivers and after losing to McGarrity on the Circuit of Ireland is determined to win round three of the Pirelli Tarmac Rally Championship.
After winning Galway, Donnelly will want to recover points lost when he dropped out of the Circuit with mechanical trouble. McHale is still focused on pulling off an unique double in the Irish and British championships, in which he finished third and second, respectively, last year.
If the pace is as quick as expected, the attrition rate could be high, particularly between the top three. The rally starts this evening with the Super Special Stage at Killarney racecourse.
Gavin Smith (Dublin) had an extremely positive BTCC debut with Vauxhall and is sixth in the points, ahead of his more experienced team mate Colin Turkington (Belfast).
Donegal's Damien Faulkner (Moville) finished third in the two Porsche Carrera GB Challenge races and is third in the points with a score of 32, behind reigning champion Richard Westbrook (42) and last year's runner-up Tim Harvey (37).
Most successful of the Irish at Donington was Paddy Hogan, the 20 years old Dublin driver winning the opening round of the British Formula Renault championship.
Eoin Murray is second in the Alfa Euro Challenge after the first two rounds at Monza in Italy. The Dublin driver races in the next two rounds at Magny Cours, France on Sunday.
Peter Dempsey (Ashbourne) is after more Formula Ford success at Brands Hatch on Monday. Justin Hynes of The Irish Times, Declan Quigley, Leo Nulty and Hugh Maguire form an Irish team in Saturday's Uniroyal Challenge five hours enduro race at Donington in which they will each take turns at the wheel of one of the special Ford-powered Beetles.
WEEKEND FIXTURES: Today: Killarney and District MC, Ordnance Survey International Rally of The Lakes, Super Special Stage, Killarney Racecourse, 5.30pm. Tomorrow: Ordnance Survey International Rally of The Lakes, starts Killarney, 8.47am; 500 MRCI, Motor Racing, Kirkistown, Co Down, 1.30pm. Sunday: Ordnance Survey International Rally of The Lakes, re-starts Killarney, 10.03am.
