Higgins leads Loeb in Shell Donegal International Rally

BRITISH Rally Champions, Mark Higgins and Rory Kennedy

in their Subaru WRC upstaged World Rally Champions,

Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroen C4

WRC) for five of the six stages of the opening leg of

the Shell Donegal International Rally.

Their dominance translates into an overnight lead of

37.2 seconds over Loeb/Elena.

Norwegian teenager, Andreas Mikkelsen and his

co-driver, Ola Floena (Ford Focus WRC) ended the day

in third.

Overnight, the top Irish crew are Derry's, Kevin Lynch

and his Cork co-driver, David Moynihan, their Ford

Focus WRC is in fourth position.

Higgins, second last year, didn’t take long to adjust

and he reeled off fastest times with aplomb. Midway

through the rally, he led Loeb by 29.3 seconds.

Meanwhile, the triple World rally champion found his

Citroen C4 difficult to handle. He made adjustments

at the Letterkenny service and his times improved on

the second loop.

His fastest time on the final stage sounded a warning

note to Higgins with 10 demanding stages tomorrow.

A spin on the second stage was Andreas Mikkelsen’s

only misdemeanour.

Reining Irish Tarmac champions, Eugene Donnelly/Paul

Kiely had a fraught day. The Derry driver remarked

that he felt very uncomfortable with a neck pain. A

puncture and gearbox woes, that left him without first

and second gear for the last two stages, saw him

finished the day in fifth place behind Kevin

Lynch/David Moynihan.

Stephen Murphy (Subaru) is sixth overnight.

Andrew Nesbitt and Tim McNulty were the principal

retirements, Nesbitt bowed out with transmission

problems on S.S. 3 and two stages later, McNulty, who

punctured on the opening stage, withdrew due to the

erratic handling of his Subaru.

Engine difficulties meant that Eamonn Boland as a

non-starter.

In the Group N showroom category, Seamus Leonard

(Mitsubishi) leads from Garry Jennings (Mitsubishi)

and Colm Murphy (Subaru).

1. M. Higgins/R. Kennedy (Subaru WRC) 40m. 17.1s.

2. S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) 40m. 54.3s.

3. A. Mikkelsen/O. Floene (Ford Focus WRC) 41m. 08.7s.

4. K. Lynch/D. Moynihan (Ford Focus WRC) 41m. 40.9s.

5. E. Donnelly/P. Kiely (Subaru WRC) 42m. 13.8s.

6. S. Murphy/MJ Morrissey (Subaru WRC) 42.39.6s.

7. P. Harris/E. O'Donnell (Toyota Corolla WRC) 42m.

50.5s.

8. H. M. Doherty/M. McBride (Subaru WRC) 44m. 04.4s.

9. PJ. McDermott/S. Harris (Subaru WRC) 44m. 06.7s.

10. P. Elliott/P. Goodman (Subaru WRC) 44.09.