Loeb leads in Donegal

World Rally champions, Sebastien Loeb and co-driver, Daniel Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) dominated this second leg of the Shell Donegal International Rally, the fifth round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship.

Overnight, they lead British Rally champions, Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru WRC) by 40.3 seconds.

Kevin Lynch/David Moynihan (Ford Focus WRC) are the top Irish crew, they hold third - three minutes 9.9 seconds further adrift of Higgins/Kennedy.

Loeb began the day in second position trailing overnight leader, Higgins by some 37 seconds. Within two stages, he had trimmed the deficit to two seconds.

Although the Frenchman increased his pace, Higgins contributed to the situation with two time consuming episodes.

Firstly, the Manx born driver endured a massive overshoot on the day’s opening stage, S.S. 7, Fanad Head and then on S.S. 8, Knockalla, he burst a rim of his Subaru after a heavy landing over a jump and arrived at the stage finish with a punctured front wheel.

Loeb moved ahead on S. S. 9, thereafter, stage by stage he increased his lead.

At the penultimate service, he was 22.4 seconds ahead and he tacked on a further 10.8 seconds on S.S. 13.

Today’s major retirements were Andrews Mikkelsen, the young Norwegian crashed out on Fanad Head and Stephen Murphy also crashed on the same stage.

Mikkelsen’s demise promoted Lynch into third spot, the Derry ace lost time with differential trouble as he tried to fend off the challenge of Eugene Donnelly.

He gained some respite when Donnelly punctured on the second run over Fanad Head. However, Donnelly put on a charge through the final stages to close within 9.8 seconds of his fellow countyman. The top duo along with Donnelly beat the bogey time on the final stage.

Seamus Leonard leads Group N from Garry Jennings.

1. S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) 1h. 53m. 54.3s.

2. M. Higgins/R. Kennedy (Subaru WRC) 1h. 54m. 34.6s.

3. K. Lynch/D. Moynihan (Ford Focus WRC) 1h. 57m.

44.5s.

4. E. Donnelly/P. Kiely (Subaru WRC) 1h. 57m. 54.3s.

5. P. Harris/E. O'Donnell (Toyota Corolla WRC) 2h.

01m. 24.3s.

6. P. Elliott/P. Goodman (Subaru WRC) 2h. 03m. 02.1s.

7. S. Leonard/G. McVeigh (Mitsubishi) 2h. 04m. 44.8s.

8. H.M. Doherty/M. McBride (Subaru WRC) 2h. 04m.

48.1s.

9. G. Jennings/D. Connolly (Mitsubishi) 2h. 06m.

06.2s.

10. K. Barrett/P. Goodman (Subaru WRC) 2h. 06m. 25.8s.