Higgins leads Manx Rally

At the end of the opening leg, Mark Higgins, driving a Skoda Octavia WRC leads the Gibbs Aquada Manx International Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British Pirelli sponsored rally championships.

Higgins took the lead on the fourth of today's five stages but his advantage is just 4.9 seconds over the Subaru of last year's winner, Jonny Milner, who led through stages two and three.

Kenny McKinstry is the best of the Irish contingent in third place. Partnered by co-driver, Noel Orr, McKinstry is 12.1 seconds behind Milner.

Paul Bird, who led after the opening stage is fourth from Dougi Hall, also on board a Ford Focus.

Austin MacHale, in yet another Focus is sixth.

Derek McGarrity, who was third for most of the event is in trouble, gearbox problems have relegated him to seventh overall in a top ten that also includes fellow Irish drivers, Eugene Donnelly in eighth place and Eamonn Boland in tenth spot.

Boland had differential trouble on this evening's early stages while Donnelly dented the side of his Toyota Corolla - it is the first time that the reigning Irish national champion is competing in the Manx.

Other Irish drivers in the top twenty are Tim McNulty (15th.) and Ollie O'Donovan (19th.)

1. M. Higgins/C. Thorley (Skoda Octavia) 24m. 51.9s.

2. J. Milner/N. Beech (Subaru Impreza WRC) 24m. 56.8s.

3. K. McKinstry/N. Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) 25m.08.9s.

4. P. Bird/A. Bargery (Ford Focus WRC) 25m.24.8s.

5. D. Hall/S. Egglestone (Ford Focus WRC) 25m.39.0s.

6. A. MacHale/B. Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) 25m.39.9s.

7. D. McGarrity/D. O'Gorman (Subaru Impreza WRC) 25m. 40.5s.

8. E. Donnelly/P. Kiely (Toyota Corolla WRC) 25m. 56.4s.

9. R. Watson/N. Quayle (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) 25m. 59.9s.

10. E. Boland/F. Regan (Subaru Impreza WRC) 26m. 04.1s.