Harrison leads Marine Hotel Fastnet rally

Over the opening two stages of the Marine Hotel Fastnet Rally, the final and deciding round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, British driver, Jim Harrison has eked out a three-second lead over the similar Subaru of Wexford’s Noel Redmond.

Local driver and former double winner of the rally, Liam McCarthy, also in a Subaru WRC is third - a further seven seconds in arrears.

Carrick-on-Shannon ace, Sean Gallagher is fourth, some 14 seconds further adrift and 12 seconds ahead of Patrick Elliott, who has a gearbox problem in his Subaru WRC. – he is the only driver capable of denying Niall Maguire his third national rally win.

Cahal Arthurs in a Skoda Octavia is equal seventh with Group N leader, Alan Ring (Subaru), who has a two-second lead over James O’Sullivan (Mitsubishi).

Dunlop championship leader, Niall Maguire is adopting a cautious approach, lying 10th overall and on course to take the title.

Unofficial Top six after S.S. 2:

1. J. Harrison (Subaru WRC) 20m. 48s.

2. N. Redmond (Subaru WRC) 20m. 51s.

3. L. Mccarthy (Subaru WRC) 20m. 58s.

4. S. Gallagher (Subaru WRC) 21m. 12s.

5. D. Cronin (Subaru WRC) 21m. 25s.

6. P. Elliott (Subaru WRC) 21m. 34s.