Niall Maguire (Monaghan) and Paul Harris (Donegal) take the fight for the Dunlop National Rally Championship right down to Sunday's final round, the Marine Hotel Fastnet Rally run out of Skibbereen in the Glandore area of West Cork. Reigning champion Maguire leads Harris by one point, but when dropped scores are taken into account, the two Subaru Impreza drivers are level on 118 points.

Maguire lost the title to John Gilleece in this event two years ago when he had a two-point lead and lost out on a tie-break.

The rally this weekend has a maximum entry of 151 crews, headed by locals Donal O'Donovan and Pat Lordan in a Toyota Celica, who will lead off Maguire and Paul McLaughlin, Harris and Eugene O'Donnell. Tim McNulty and Michael Barrable in Toyota Celicas are seeded four and five, respectively, followed by Pete Doughty in a Ford Escort WRC, Liam McCarthy (Celica), Donie O'Sullivan (Escort Cosworth) and Subaru drivers Frank O'Mahony and Ray Breen. Also entered are Tommy Graham (Escort WRC), Wesley Patterson (Sierra Cos worth) and Group N champion Patrick Elliott.

JJ Farrell starts rounds five and six of the Hewison Trophy Autotest Championship with a perfect score of four wins out of four starts to lead reigning champion Eamonn Byrne and all-time record holder Dermot Carnegie. Byrne has come from behind before and with eight Hewison wins to his credit is closing on Carnegie's record of 10, unless Farrell can maintain his current meteoric progress around the autotest markers. The weekend events are at Sligo Airport tomorrow and at Cleaghmore, Ballinasloe, on Sunday.

Dubliner Michael Cullen, driving his Ferrari 360 Modena,is going for third spot in the Ferrari Challenge, the final rounds of which will be run at Mugello in Italy on Sunday.