Motorsport: White's championship rival retires from Belgium rally

David Sterckx, the driver that stands between Tipperary's, Roy White and a Group N Belgian Championship victory has retired from the Condroz Rally.

His Mitsubishi suffered a blown engine and he has to sit and watch White's progress over the remainder of the two-day rally.

White, presently in seventh place in the category, needs to garner three points - fourth in class - to win the series.

Driving very conservatively this morning, he was almost too cautious. He needs to increase his pace, something he is well capable of, to move into the vital championship positions.

Two other Irish drivers, Aaron McHale and Pat Price are further down the leaderboard.

In the Jim Clark Formula Rally in Duns, Scotland, Mark Higgins and his Irish co-driver, Michael Gibson (VW Polo) have snatched a one-second lead over the Ford Puma of Martin Rowe/Chris Wood. Max McKillen (Citroen Saxo) remains in sixth place and the Cork/Limerick combination of Liam Brady/Greg Shinnors are seventh.

Meanwhile, Peadar Hurson/Ian Porter continue to blow away the opposition and after ten stages of the Jim Clark Memorial Rally, they have opened up a lead of three minutes 19.7 seconds over the Subaru WRC of Steve Fleck. Tim McNulty/Julian Nangle (Subaru) have slipped to sixth.

The Toshiba Computers Forest Rally in Dungannon is being dominated by Subaru World Rally Cars. Robert Woodside/Rory Kennedy lead from Derek McGarrity/Derek O'Gorman with Eamonn Boland/Anthony Nestor in third spot.