1^st (1) Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien (Impreza WRC) 1.24.38

2^nd (5) Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Corolla WRC) 1.25.13

3^rd (4) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.26.41

4^th (11) Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.27.31

5^th (2) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Focus WRC) 1.28.23

6^th (14) Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor (Impreza WRC) 1.28.42

7^th (9) Paul Harris/John McCafferty (Impreza WRC) 1.29.13

8^th (26) Maurice Gass/James McKee (Impreza WRC) 1.32.03***

9^th (17) Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Impreza N) 1.33.17

10^th (59) Cahal Rogers/Paul McLaughlin (Lancer N) 1.33.18

11^th (27) Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry (Lancer N) 1.34.08

12^th (40) Sean Devine/Robert McDaid (Impreza WRC) 1.34.38

As the lead drivers on this Shell Donegal International Rally approached the Knockalla stage for the 2^nd run over the heavens opened to a torrential rain storm and saw streams flowing down the road, and water bouncing off windscreens so hard that the drivers couldn’t see out. Andrew Nesbitt had taken the lead on the first visit to Knockalla, led by 1s, when he brought his Tony Kelly supported Subaru into service. He increased his advantage by 10s over Fanad to lead the rally by 13 as he approached Knockalla. Andrew was the first driver to talk to the officials on the spot and asked them to consider the possibility of not running the stage at all, as it was so dangerous in the conditions. It was decided to go ahead, Nesbitt trusted to his Pirelli tyres and his own courage and skill, and simply destroyed the opposition….24s faster than Donnelly, 28s faster than McGarrity. It was a monumental feat by the 4 times Donegal Rally winner, and if he is to win the event for the 5^th time tomorrow evening, surely it will be this stage 14, Knockalla, that will have proved the watershed.

Eugene Donnelly said at stage finish. "I have just no answer to that". Derek McGarrity reported a lurid 100 yard slide on a straight road coming up to the first chicane, and he decided there and then discretion was the better part of valour. In any case, in typical McGarrity fashion, he has this red car sold and it is due to go to its new owner tomorrow night. Kevin Lynch did his usual solid job and recorded 4^th fastest time to hold 4^th place. Austin MacHale was 5^th fastest through that 14^th stage despite his Focus WRC having some problem with the paddle gearshift, and Austin having to resort to the sequential gear change.

***We are showing Maurice Gass above in 8^th place but are taking the liberty of using a nominal time for stage 12 where he stopped to render assistance to Matthew Wilson, who had crashed his Focus WRC over rocks on to the beach. We think that the procedure will be that Maurice will be awarded a "normal" time later this evening, which should bring him back to the 8^th place shown above.

In Group N Seamus Leonard had to give best to Cahal Rogers through stage 14 and indeed through stage 13, the Limavady fencing contractor closed up now to within 1s of the group N lead. Cahal’s co-driver Paul McLaughlin joked. "He’s not going so bad for an oul lad!". 2^nd in GpN now is Dessie Keenan, making up for time lost earlier when his engine was down on power, but even Dessie couldn’t look at Rogers’ time through 13 & 14. Colm Murphy is unofficially 4^th gpN in his older model Subaru. Gavin Harris, with Shaun Lafferty co driving, is 5^th in his Lancer.

Welsh visitor Tony Davies has been treating the rally with some respect, always aware that it is a long 3 day event, and he is just outside the above leaderboard in his newly acquired Impreza WRC. In the National part of the rally John Dalton continues to lead in his Darrian. Paul Gallagher (Corolla) is 2^nd. Damien Gallagher 3^rd. Robbie Peoples 4^th. Drew Hunter 5^th and Ronan Curley 6^th. Last we heard, Ronan’s father Cahal was in differential trouble. In the Historics Martine Freestone in his Post Historic Escort was ahead after 3 stages from Frank Cunningham’s Historic Mini Cooper S. Adrian Kermode (Porsche) was 3^rd, Martin Ward 4^th. More news in the morning. BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net