Higgins & Kennedy win Easter International Rally

Manx born, Mark Higgins and his Letterkenny co-driver, Rory Kennedy (Subaru WRC) have won the Easter International Rally in Derry.

They finished 37.8 seconds ahead of the S12 Subaru WRC of defending champions, Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely while Norwegian teenager, Andreas Mikkelsen and his co-driver, Ola Floene (Ford Focus WRC) came through to take third.

Higgins was pushed hard by Kris Meeke and co-driver, Paul Nagle (Subaru) and when they closed to within 3.5 seconds after today’s opening stage, the event seemed set for a close finish.

But Higgins made a fine response and extracted six seconds from his rival on Stage 8.

Punctures for both of the top duo, changed the complexion of the rally.

One of the tyre’s in Meeke’s Subaru deflated soon after the stage start of S.S. 9 and he lost 30 seconds and dropped to third.

Higgins lost little time with his puncture.

On the next stage, Meeke made a great effort and was within a fraction of a second of second place – even though he had yet another puncture, but like Higgins on the previous test, it was close to the finish line.

A fine drive ended on Stage 11 when the engine of his Subaru expired.

Donnelly finished second and opened his account in the current Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship. Norwegian, Mikkelsen came through to take third.

Kevin Lynch, who spun his Ford Focus during the day, was fourth and despite transmission trouble, Eamonn Boland, was fifth from Gareth Jones, both driving Ford Focus WRC’s.

Tim McNulty crashed out; Peadar Hurson retired as did Stephen Murphy following a time consuming puncture Colm Murphy in a Subaru, won N Group N after Seamus Leonard (Mitsubishi) damaged an intercooler following an off road excursion. Leonard was second in the category with Roy White (Mitsubishi) third.

1 M. Higgins/R. Kennedy (Subaru WRC) 1h. 41m. 22.9s.

2 E. Donnelly/P. Kiely (Subaru WRC) 1h. 42m. 00.7s.

3 A. Mikkelsen/O. Floene (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 42m.

48.3s.

4 K. Lynch/D. Moynihan (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 44m.

30.3s.

5 E. Boland/F. Regan (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 45m. 15.1s.

6 G. Jones/A. Bargery (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 47m.

14.0s.

7 C. Murphy/G. Loughrey (Subaru) 1h. 50m. 03.3s.

8 S. Leonard/G. McVeigh (Mitsubishi) 1h. 50m. 10.3s.

9 R. White/S. McCauley (Mitsubishi) 1h. 51m. 10.0s.

10 C. McCloskey/R. Durrant (Mitsubishi) 1h. 51m.

38.7s.