Drama in Donegal International rally

With Andrew Nesbitt having stretched his lead in the Shell Donegal International Rally on today’s opening stage to 47 seconds, the rally was turned on its head on the next stage, Port Lake.

Nesbitt’s Subaru got out of line on a left hand bend and with Donnelly approaching was broadside on the road.

The cars touched but Donnelly managed to get by and finished the stage with an actual time of ten minutes and 42 seconds.

Derek McGarrity, next on the road also found Nesbitt’s car in his path and the two touched and it appears that Austin MacHale then stopped at the scene and there was no further competitive action on the stage.

Currently, the stewards are meeting to decide what course of action to take and will relate that decision to the drivers when they arrive back to Carrickart for the second service halt.

In the meantime, the competitors are out on the loop of Atlantic Drive, High Glen and Port Lake.

Paul Harris has retired his Subaru due to a broken timing belt pulley.

Provisional times to Stage 17 (excluding Stage 16);

1. A. Nesbitt/James O’Brien (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h. 37m. 53s.

2. E. Donnelly/P. Kiely (Toyota Corolla WRC) 1h. 38m. 49s.

3. D. McGarrity/D. O’Gorman (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h. 40m. 19s.

4. K. Lynch/F. Regan (Subaru Impreza) 1h. 41m. 27s.

5. A. MacHale/B. Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 42m. 03s.

6. T. McNulty/A. Nestor (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h. 42m. 23s