NEWS JUST IN FROM STAGE 15 MALIN HEAD – MacHale fastest again but by less than a second from Boland with McNulty 3^rd fastest.  Main incident is Conor McCloskey's Lancer stuck in a ditch, not known if he will get going or not.

Eugene Donnelly has a massive lead on this Circuit of Ireland Rally starting Day 3, over 2 minutes on Eamonn Boland.  In a way Donnelly’s lead is so decisive at the moment that the spotlight has moved slightly further back to the battle for 2^nd place between Boland and Austin MacHale.  MacHale may, in a way, be the elder statesman of the drivers and with 2 Circuit wins under his belt and many Tarmac crowns it would be easy to say he has nothing left to prove.  However, Austin has got a sniff of glory and he’s really pushing hard now, fastest through this morning’s Coolcross Hill stage up the Inishowen Peninsula.  The onset of rain made it even more of a challenge and proved that the big Dubliner has not lost his old spark.  He’s just 8s behind Boland now with 3 stages to go and its all to play for.

Otherwise the top drivers held their positions. Donnelly’s time was far from fastest, Eugene reckoning now that there’s no point in taking any chances whatsoever.  He just has to keep the car on course to score his first Circuit win.

Roy White wasn’t even on the leaderboard on the first day of the rally, admitting that he wasn’t driving well and that there was also a problem with the rear differential of his FESP Lancer.   It is a different story this morning – Roy was fastest group N through the stage, leads the category and is 6^th overall.  Garry Jennings was 2^nd fastest and is still kicking himself at throwing away his huge lead when his Lancer got stuck in a ditch for 4 minutes in stage 13. James Cullen was in gearbox trouble last night, he has that sorted and is flying this morning, just a few seconds slower than White and Jennings. Colm Murphy is also going hard this morning, was credited with some time overnight and has leapt up to 7^th overall, 2^nd GpN. 

In the National section of the rally Camillus Bradley has built up a big lead over Damien Gallagher with Seamus McCusker 3^rd.  Gallagher reckoned he made a slow enough start and is trying now to pull back some time as he moves into home territory.  Manus Kelly is 4^th in the Nationals to break the Ford Escort stranglehold, Manus driving a Corolla. Then its back to Escorts again with Roan Curley 5^th and saying he was getting no grip at all, then Declan McNaughton 6^th in his Escort. Martin Howley is 7^th in his Escort Cosworth having been in a couple of ditches yesterday.

In the Historic section of the rally Sean Treacy has built up a substantial lead in his Post Historic BMW, his only problem yesterday a slight oil leak from a valve on top of the engine. Manxman Adrian Kermode co driven by Maurice Beckett is over a minute down on the BMW in his Porsche 911.  Adrian lost time on the first few stages, reckoned he had too hard a compound rear tyre on the 911.  Bill Rowan leads the Historics in his Anglia leads the Historic section from William Stevenson in his Popular.  Class leaders in the International Rally include: Andrew Bushe in his Peugeot. Alan Cathcart in his Civic. Conor Harvey (Civic): Wm Gamble (Micra): Ernest McMillen (Suzuki).