McGarrity leads clean sweep for Subaru

LEADING from the start, Derek McGarrity and co-driver Chris Patterson withstood pressure from defending champions Andrew Nesbitt and James O’Brien to take their first win in the Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland Rally.

It was a richly deserved win for McGarrity, from Glengormley, undoubtedly one of the fastest drivers in the country, piloting the Pirelli/Matcon-liveried Subaru World Rally Car driven by Tommi Makinen in last year’s Network Q Rally.

Nesbitt, in a P2000 McKinstry Subaru WRC, made a valiant effort but a power steering difficulty ended his bid. Austin MacHale and Brian Murphy, in another Subaru WRC, were third while Tipperary’s Roy White and Greg Shinnors in the Michelin-shod Mitsubishi won the Group N showroom category with an impressive performance in the 23-stage Enniskillen-based event that finished over an hour-and-a-half behind schedule.