Donnelly leads Ulster Rally

The opening leg of the Todds Leap.com Ulster International Rally in Antrim was a classic contest mixed with drama through the day's six stages, where the lead changed several times.

Overnight, it's Eugene Donnelly's Skoda Fabia WRC that holds pole position - just 2.9 seconds ahead of the Ford Focus WRC of his Irish Tarmac Championship rival, Gareth MacHale.

In an exciting contest, Derek McGarrity, in a Subaru, is only 1.6 seconds further behind in third.

The major drama came on tonight's sixth and final stage, Torr Head.

There, Cork driver Keith Cronin crashed his Mitsubishi out of the rally, although damage was minimal.

By the end of the fifth test, Cronin had led his British Rally Championship rival Mark Higgins (Subaru) by some 12 seconds.

The BRC title will now be decided on next month's Rally Yorkshire.

On the opening stage, Derek McGarrity set the pace - 1.6 seconds ahead of Donnelly with MacHale a second further behind.

Donnelly (S.S.2) and then MacHale (S.S.3) headed the overall standings.

MacHale was only three 10ths of a second ahead after the opening loop of three stages.

Out on the repeat loop, Donnelly gained the slightest edge, he shared the outright lead with McGarrity after S.S. 5. and then eked out that narrow 2.9-second lead over MacHale on tonight's final stage.

McGarrity, is 1.6 seconds further behind but still very much in contention.

Darren Gass in a Subaru and Glen Allen's Toyota complete the overnight top five.

Gywndaf Evans (Mitsubishi) heads the British Championship contenders but Mark Higgins' Subaru is only 1.3 seconds behind.

Fermanagh's, Alastair Fisher (Mitsubishi) is third in the category and eighth overall.

Cork driver, Brian O'Mahony (Renault Clio S1600) is 13th overall and second in Class 3, some 18 seconds behind Belgian driver, Kris Princen (Renault Clio R3).

Tomorrow's final leg consist of eight stages.

1. E. Donnelly/P. Toner (Skoda Fabia WRC) 39m. 43.8s

2. G. MacHale/B. Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) 39m. 46.7s

3. D. McGarrity/J. McKee (Subaru WRC) 39m. 48.3s.

4. G. Allen/D. Connolly (Toyota Corolla WRC) 41m. 08.3s

5. G. Evans/C. Patterson (Mitsubishi) 41m. 16.2s

6. M. Higgins/B. Thomas (Subaru) 41m. 17.5s

7. A. Fisher/R. Kennedy (Mitsubishi) 26m. 37.2s

9. A. Gould/S. Marshall (Subaru) 27m. 27.6s

8. A. Fisher/R. Kennedy (Mitsubishi) 41m. 56.6s.

9. A. Gould S. Marshall (Subaru) 43m. 08.0s.

10. E. Thorburn/C. Roy (Subaru) 43m. 08.5s.