Close encounter in Mete0r Electrical circuit of Ireland

Derek McGarrity takes a 9.5 second lead over Eugene Donnelly into tomorrow’s third and final leg of the Meteor Electrical Circuit of Ireland Rally.

First leg leader, Andrew Nesbitt, who lost the lead on two occasions yesterday, is still very much in contention and trails Donnelly by 7.4 seconds.

Nesbitt lost the lead on today’s opening stage when he wedged his Subaru at a chicane. He was quickly back in the groove and two stages later, he led by some six seconds.

Then a puncture on special stage 12 saw him slip to third and although he gained a few precious seconds he remains in third.

McGarrity lost time on one stage when he thought he had a puncture while suspension set up cost Donnelly a little time.

Elsewhere, Eamonn Boland remains in fourth from Tim NcNulty and Austin MacHale, who had a problem with the exhaust manifold.

Both Peadar Hurson and Kevin Lynch crashed out today.

In Group N, Gary Jennings (Mitsubishi) has some two and a half minutes to spare over Willie Fannin (Subaru)

The rally finishes tomorrow with seven stages, the final stage is the Super Special at St Angel Airport in Enniskillen.

D. McGarrity/D. O’Gorman (Subaru WRC) 1h. 32m. 29.7s.

E. Donnelly/P. Kiely (Toyota Corolla) 1h. 32m. 39.2s.

A. Nesbitt/J. O’Brien (Subaru WRC) 1h. 32m. 46.6s.

E. Boland/F. Regan (Subaru WRC) 1h. 33m. 15.5s.

T. NcNulty/E. O’Donnell (Subaru WRC) 1h. 34m. 24.7s.

A. MacHale/B. Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 35m. 54.01s.

S. Devine/J. McKee (Subaru WRC) 1h. 38m. 18.5s.

G. Jennings/R. Kennedy (Mitsubishi) 1h. 39m. 06.9s.

W. Fannin/M. Courtney (Subaru) 1h. 42m. 21.1s.

P. White/G. Stewart (Subaru) 1h. 43m. 40.2s.