Higgins & Kennedy lead Easter International Rally

At the end of the opening day of the Derry based Easter International Rally, the second round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, British Rally champions, Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru) head the timesheets.

They hold an 8.4 second advantage over the similar Subaru of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle. Reigning Irish Tarmac champions, Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely in their S12 Subaru are further 16.5 seconds in arrears.

Of today's six stages near Omagh, Higgins was quickest on four tests - yet it was the third stage before he actually claimed the lead.

The pace on the opening stage was set by Junior World Rally ace, Kris Meeke from Dungannon and his Kerry co-driver, Paul Nagle.

Driving a McKinstry run Subaru WRC, they were 6.7 second ahead of Higgins with Norwegian teenager, Andreas Mikkelsen in a Ford Focus and Donnelly both within a fraction of a second of second place.

Donnelly set the pace on Stage 2 as Meeke led by some six seconds.

Higgins moved ahead on S.S. 3 with Donnelly slotting into second ahead of Meeke, who lost time with a gearbox problem.

Mikkelsen dropped down the order when he slid his Ford Focus against a fence and spun around in a field before rejoining the rally.

Donnelly’s Subaru stalled on S.S. 4 and he lost valuable seconds as Higgins consolidate his lead role.

On the closing two stages, the Manx born driver and his Letterkenny co-driver, Rory Kennedy gained a few more precious seconds to lead Meeke/Nagle by 8.4 seconds at the overnight halt in Derry.

Donnelly remarked that he had driven as hard as he could over the six stages.

Meanwhile, despite a bout of influenza, Tim McNulty (Subaru) is fourth overnight followed by Mikkelsen, who climbed back up the order in fine style.

Kevin Lynch continues to make adjustments to his Ford Focus, he sixth overnight ahead of Eamonn Boland (Ford Focus WRC), Stephen Murphy, Peadar Hurson and Sean Devine, all in Subaru WRC’s.

Seamus Leonard (Mitsubishi) leads Group N by almost a minute from Colm Murphy (Subaru).

Overnight Top 10 (Provisional) :

1. M. Higgins/R. Kennedy (Subaru WRC) 54m. 38.0s.

2. K. Meeke/P. Nagle (Subaru WRC) 54m. 46.4s.

3. E. Donnelly/P. Kiely (Subaru WRC) 55m. 02.9s.

4. T. McNulty/A. Nestor (Subaru WRC) 55m. 28.0s.

5. A. Mikkelsen/O. Floene (Ford Focus WRC) 55m. 35.0s.

6. K. Lynch/D. Moynihan (Ford Focus WRC) 55m. 44.9s.

7. E. Boland/F. Regan (Ford Focus WRC) 56m. 11.8s.

8. S. Murphy/M.J. Morrissey (Subaru WRC) 56m. 33.1s.

9. P. Hurson/M. Orr (Subaru WRC) 57m .07.3s.

10. S. Devine/P. McLaughlin (Impreza WRC) 57m. 38.9s.