Higgins heading for glory in Manx Rally

With just two of the 23 stages remaining in the Gibbs Aquada Manx International Rally, a counting round of the Irish and British Pirelli Championships.

Jonny Milner holds an advantage of almost two minutes from Banbridge ace, Kenny McKinstry, also in a Subaru with fellow Northern Ireland duo, Derek McGarrity (Subaru) and Eugene Donnelly (Toyota Corolla WRC) holding the rest of the top four places.

Milner got a scare on S.S. 21 when he clipped a bank and pulled the back bumper off his Subaru, at the stage finished he remarked “That’s a warning, I’m going to back off now.”

McKinstry is also on course to repeat his second place of last year, he is 43.6 seconds clear of Derek McGarrity, who is focussing on the top points in the Pirelli Irish series with arch rival, Eugene Donnelly, competing on the event for the very first time, some 39 seconds adrift.

Austin MacHale is fifth with the Skoda of one time leader, Mark Higgins in sixth spot and Eamonn Boland seventh.

Elsewhere, Billy Coleman award winner, Dessie Keenan (Mitsubishi) is second in Group N – eleven seconds behind category leader, Rob Wilson (Mitsubishi).

Willie Fannin (Subaru) is third in the same category and 14th.overall.

Other Irish drivers on the leader board are Colm Murphy (Subaru) in 19th position and George Tracey (Peugeot 206 WRC) in 24th. Place.

London-based Limerick driver, Ollie O’Donovan didn’t start today’s third and final leg.