Despite a difficult rally for Steve Røkland and co-driver Kim Hjalmarsen at NM Rally Sørland this weekend, the pairing kept their composure to secure third in class and climb to fourth place overall in the championship standings.

Mads Østberg and his co-driver Jonas Andersson won the fourth round in the Norwegian rally championship at the 2012 NM Rally Sørland  this weekend.

Rally Sørland was the championship’s fourth round and Østberg’s seventh time in Mandal, where the rally is based. The rally started on Friday evening with Østberg leading from start to finish in his Ford Fiesta RRC.

While M-Sport’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) contenders fought it out in Argentina last weekend, 19-year-old Steve Røkland and co-driver Kim Hjalmarsen impressed on the Northern English rally team’s home soil to secure the first competitive victory for the Ford Fiesta R1.

M-Sport is happy to announce a new award for the FIA WRC Academy’s second season. Applauding the camaraderie of the WRC Academy crews, the ‘Spirit of the FIA WRC Academy’ award will honour the most sportsman-like crew, driver or co-driver on each event.

British Rally Championship star Matt Cotton banished the memories of his 2008 crash when he finished a creditable 13^th overall and 2^nd in class on last weekend’s Pirelli International Rally.  Partnered by co-driver Glyn Thomas, the rapid Cornishman from St Teath endured a hard fought battle with AVS Motorsport team mate Gethin Jones throughout the 96 competitive stage miles in Cumbria to lose out on a win by a scant 8.1 seconds at the finish.

DMACK has scored its best world rally finish at Rally Argentina this weekend after Martin Prokop clinched a top-four position in the DMACK Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The result was due to a clever nomination of its soft compound gravel tyre which worked perfectly in the cool damp conditions.