MOTOR SPORT:Triple world champion Sebastien Loeb (France) and his Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo (Spain), and Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) in a Ford Focus WRC head up the star-studded entry for the weekend's Murphy Construction-sponsored International Cork 20 Rally.

All three world rally championship drivers are using the Cork event as a serious test for the WRC Rally Ireland on November 15th-18th. Ford's Marcus Gronholm gave a works Focus WRC a successful Irish tarmac test by winning the Galway International in February.

Hirvonen and Jarno Lehtinen face a tougher task against the Citroen drivers, particularly Loeb who drove a Citroen C4 WRC to a Donegal International win in June. Sordo is seeded number three in a Citroen Xsara WRC, behind Loeb and Hirvonen.

At number four is Gareth MacHale in a Ford Focus WRC who will have to drive the stages flat out if he is to keep within striking distance of the speedy WRC trio, and keep ahead of Subaru drivers Mark Higgins and Eugene Donnelly who are battling for the Global Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Rally of The Lakes and Ulster Rally winner Kris Meeke is an unlikely starter.

Niall Breen should clinch a fourth place in the British Formula Three Championship in Sunday's two final rounds at Rockingham. This is quite an achievement by the Dundalk driver in his first season of the most competitive F.3 racing.

Belmayne A1 Team Ireland are aiming for a strong start to the third season of the A1 World Cup of Motorsport at Zandvoort, near Amsterdam. Ralph Firman returns to the Ireland team and is confident after encouraging times in recent testing at Silverstone. His last A1 Grand Prix was at Laguna Seca, US, where he was fifth in the sprint and sixth in the feature race.

WEEKEND FIXTURES: Today - Munster Car Club, International Cork 20 Rally, ceremonial start, Grand Parade, Cork City, 6.30pm. Tomorrow - International Cork 20 Rally, starts Little Island, Cork, 8am. Sunday - International Cork 20 rally, restarts Little Island, Cork, 9am.