Harris wins Donegal Harvest Rally

There was a final stage drama on the Mill Park Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally, the penultimate round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Local driver, Paul Harris in a Subaru Impreza, won the rally after long time leader, Tim NcNulty retired his Subaru WRC with differential trouble.

Harris finished some eleven seconds ahead of Cahal Arthurs (Hyundai Accent WRC) with Dunlop Championship leader, Niall Maguire (Subaru WRC) annexing third.

In terms of the Dunlop series, Maguire has a 14-point lead over Patrick Elliott, who clawed his way back from almost 30th. place after he lost time with a puncture.

Meanwhile, Jim Harrison, who lost a staggering nine minutes on the second stage and some more time on stage four, finished well down the order, however, albeit provisionally, he appears to have garnered enough points to remain in the title hunt that will be decided on the Marine Hotel Fastnet rally in West Cork on the October bank holiday weekend.

Group N winner, Michael Curran, who snatched the showroom category win on the final stages, was fourth overall ahead of the Subaru WRC of Sean Gallagher.

Willie Fannin (Subaru) was sixth overall. He was the top registered competitor in the Group N series and clinched the Patterson’s Rallynews Award.

Provisional Results:

P. Harris (Subaru Impreza) 57m. 24s.

C. Arthurs (Hyundai WRC) 57m. 39s.

N. Maguire (Subaru WRC) 57m. 54s.

M. Curran (Mitsubishi) 58m. 38s.

S. Gallagher (Subaru) 58m. 41s.

W. Fannin (Subaru) 58m. 51s.