Nesbitt leads Cork '20' rally

Fastest on all today’s five stages, Andrew Nesbitt has a 45 second lead in the Murphy Construction Cork '20' International Rally, the penultimate round of the Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac Championship.

On this morning’s stages Nesbitt was being chased hard by Austin MacHale who was only 17 seconds behind after three stages.

However, an electrical problem on board his Toyota Corolla WRC has sidelined the five times Irish Tarmac champion.

Second placed Eamonn Boland’s only mishap was a small spin on the third stage. He is 23 seconds ahead of the Toyota Celica ST205 of Peadar Hurson.

The top local driver is Donal O’Donovan, his SDS Toyota Celica ST185 is fourth in general classification some 58 seconds adrift of Hurson.

Elsewhere, Maurice Gass (Subaru) is fifth; Bob Fowden (Mitsubishi) in sixth leads the Group N category while the top 10 is completed by Trevor Cathers (Mitsubishi), Ollie O’Donovan (Subaru), Liam McCarthy (Toyota Corolla) and Dickie Curran (Mitsubishi).

Aside from MacHale, Melvyn Evans (Escort WRC) is another top 10 retirement.

There are three more stages remaining in today’s first leg.