WHAT appeared to be a cracking entry for Sunday’s Kilkenny-based Suirway Farm Machinery Raven’s Rock Rally, the fifth round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, has been decimated by a series of withdrawals.

Although Austin MacHale retains top spot at the end of the first leg of the Kwik Fit Pirelli British Rally Championship, the revised interim results has promoted David Higgins up into second place – 59 seconds behind MacHale, who is bidding to win his first international rally in over seven years.

Manx-born driver Mark Higgins and his Belfast co-driver Michael Gibson, on board their Ford Focus WRC, lead at the end of the first leg of the AnswerCall Direct Ulster Rally.