Murphy leads Carlow Rally

Midway through the Seven Oaks Hotel/Dargan Tools Carlow Rally, former Irish National Rally champion, Stephen Murphy and co-driver, Mickey Joe Morrissey (Subaru) have a 22 second lead over the Subaru of Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell with Patrick Elliott/David Moynihan, also in a Subaru, a further 15 seconds adrift.

Breen led by a three seconds after the opening stage and on the next stage, set the same time as Murphy.

Out on the third stage, a burst watermain caused havoc, while Murphy and Elliott got though unscathed, Breen’s Subaru slid into a bank at the location that claimed the Subaru of Tommy Graham.

Breen lost 21 seconds to the rally leader and at the service halt in Gowran Park, he had dropped 22 seconds behind rally leader, Stephen Murphy.

Elliott remains in third and is followed by the Escort Cosworth of Richie Curran and the Toyota Corolla WRC of John McCarthy.

In the Mk. 2 Escort Challenge, Wexford’s, David James has a 17 second advantage over Pat Donegan, who crashed into a tree on the third stage.

Billy Coleman continues to lose time, his Escort has a chronic misfire. Mick Reddy and Liam Wall have both retired.

Unofficial times after S.S. 4

1. S. Murphy/M.J. Morrissey (Subaru) 27m. 45s.

2. R. Breen/A. Purcell (Subaru) 28m. 05s.

3. P. Elliott/D. Moynihan (Subaru) 28m. 20s.

4. R. Curran/G. English (Escort Cosworth) 29m. 00s.

5. J. McCarthy/J. O’Brien (Toyota Corolla WRC) 30m.01s.