Back in the day when motocross world champion, KTM sporting director and trained baker Heinz Kinigadner (49) rode in the Dakar Rally, drivers pinned compasses to their sleeves. These days, he says, the drivers have a much easier ride.

Having decided not to compete in Rally Russia, the sixth round of this year’s IRC, Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke still leads the Driver’s Standings but by just one point.

A particularly sad friend of mine learnt to recognise a rally car just from the sound of its engine. It was a party trick with limited appeal, but the bad news for him is that he is going to have to climb a steep learning curve all over again.

Irishmen Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle scored their second consecutive victory in the Rally Barbados, winning by 16.75 seconds over British rally regulars Paul Bird and Ian Windress.

The 2009 Rally America National Championship hots up in Oregon.

Just how do you go about winning a championship? Let’s ask Sébastien Loeb, who is well on the way to his sixth. “If you ask me, I can’t really tell you,” he says. Well, thanks, Seb.

That’s five rallies, five wins, 50 points for Sébastien Loeb as he hopes to go undefeated throughout the championship.

WRC champion began the day in third place, behind his team-mate Dani Sordo and Mikko Hirvonen and finished the day 58.6 secs in front.

Motorsport is serious business in Argentina. So much so that one of the country’s top drivers is probably about to be voted President.

Last year, Conrad Rautenbach finished fourth in the Rally Argentina in just his second time out in the Citroen C4. This year, he's finding it harder, but he's going to fight to the end.

Even though he's sweeping the road, WRC champion Sébastien Loeb finds the conditions in Argentina to his liking.

In a magnificent two-fingered salute to lily-livered tofu-eating sportsmen worldwide, five-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb lists his favourite food and drink as 'steak and red wine'...

Normal rules of self-preservation don’t apply in Argentina, the WRC’s next stop this weekend.

World champion Sébastien Loeb has a fourth consecutive victory in his sights in Portugal.

For every motorsport idol, there are a thousand technical guidelines, rules, directives and pitfalls to render any hero an instant zero.

As the WRC arrives in the Algarve for the Rally de Portugal, the obvious question is: just who can stop the charge of Sébastien Loeb?

Swedish rally driver Patrik Sandell talks to Werner Jessner about the 100 per cent start to his P-WRC campaign...

The WRC champion adds yet another string to his bow with Norwegian win.

Leaving the luxury of the WRC service park, our intrepid correspondent Justin Hynes discovers the 2006 junior world rally champion Patrik Sandell ensconced in a frozen corner of Hamar...

Two-times Dakar champion, Cyril Despres, blogs from the sand dunes of Chile on his progress in Stage 10 of the Dakar.

Believe in yourself

Believe in yourself

The second race of the Rally-America Championship Series enters Missouri