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.

Fourth placed Jonny Greer (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) couldn't fathom how he lost time on the first stage as he occupied fourth after the loop of three stages. Third on the opening stage Kilrea's Desi Henry (Ford Fiesta Rally2) made his exit on SS2 when he clipped a bale that damaged the power steering. Jersey's Sam Touzel (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) occupied fifth and stressed that he was building confidence. British driver Mark Kelly (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) completed the top six.

On the repeat loop Moffett broke Doherty's sequence of fastest time, winning SS4 by a second. Doherty won the remaining stages and extended his lead to 6.8s. McCourt and Greer completed an unchanged top quartet as Kelly edged our Greer for fifth.

Meanwhile, Donegal's Eamonn Kelly (BMW M3 ) is proving to be the barometer of the International category that is a counting round of the European Historic Rally Championship.

Overnight, he is a minute and 1.9s ahead of the similar car of Welsh driver Tomas Davies. Kelly punctured near the end of one stage and lost brakes on the evening's final stage at Torr Head. Waterford's Ray Breen (Subaru Legacy) is third. Dunmanway's Jason McSweeney (Ford Escort Cosworth) retired after the opening stage with a broken driveshaft that manifested itself a mere two hundred metres after the stage start. Londoner Will Graham (BMW M3) retired on the road section to SS2 with differential issues. Under EHRC rules, both will re-join the event under Super Rally today (Saturday). Saturday's action consists of a double run over a loop of three stages in the vicinity of Ballymena and Larne.

Modern Tyres Ulster Rally (Irish Tarmac Rally Championship) Ballymena: 1. E. Doherty/T. Murphy (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) 42m. 42.0s; 2. J. Moffett/A. Hayes (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+6.8s; 3. C. McCourt/B. McNulty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+57.5s; 4. J. Greer/ N. Burns (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+1m. 08.7s; 5. M. Kelly/W. Atkins (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+2m. 01.2s; 6. S. Touzel/M. Freeman (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+2m. 01.4s.