McCormack and McCourt in the mix at Roger Albert Clark Rally

Sweden’s Oliver Solberg holds a commanding lead of five minutes.

Swedish driver Oliver Solberg and British co-driver Elliot Edmonson. File picure: Guillermo SALGADO / AFP)

Irish drivers Marty McCormack and Cathan McCourt hold top-four places as the Roger Albert Clark Rally edges closer to its fifth and final leg and event finish in Carlisle tomorrow. After SS26 Sweden’s Oliver Solberg (Ford Escort RS1800) holds a commanding lead of five minutes and 15s over the similar car of Draperstown’s McCormack and co-driver Barney Mitchell. Omagh’s Cathan McCourt and his Cork co-driver Liam Moynihan, also in an Escort RS1800, are only 19s off third place.

Solberg began Friday’s second leg a mere second behind Welsh ace Osian Pryce but with fastest times on all but one of the day’s seven stages Solberg ended the day 44s ahead of his rival as McCormack continued in third. Pryce retired after SS17 on Saturday following an oil leak in his Escort and that promoted McCormack into second spot as Solberg continued to dominate, even though two stages were cancelled, he ended the day four minutes and 15s ahead of McCormack, who was fortunate that spectators were around to help extricate his Escort from an off road excursion on one of the Scottish stages.