Eddie Doherty holds slender Ulster Rally lead over Josh Moffett

The Ulster Rally is the penultimate round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship

Kilkenny's Eddie Doherty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) during the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally

Kilkenny's Eddie Doherty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Monaghan's Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) are locked in a battle for supremacy on the Ballymena based Modern Tyres Ulster Rally, the penultimate round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship where Doherty, who led from the start, has an 6.8s advantage after today's (Friday) six stages. Tyrone's Cathan McCourt (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) is 50.7s further behind.

Doherty was quickest on all three of the opening stages building on 0.5s lead on the opener near Broughshane to a margin of 2.3s after the Torr Head (SS3) classic. He was untroubled apart, like the others, with issues surrounding the virtual chicanes, although a problem with the pop-off valve surfaced on SS3. Moffett clipped a bale on SS2 (Glendun) that ripped part of his Toyota's front wing. Fivemiletown's Cathan McCourt (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) had an excursion on the opening stage that bent a rear track control arm and damaged a rear wheel. He lost about ten seconds on the two remaining stages and arrived at the Ballymena service park in third spot 40.6s behind Moffett.