Midway through the Mill Park Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally, the penultimate round of the Dunlop National rally championship, Tim NcNulty/Eugene O’Donnell (Subaru WRC) have a commanding lead of a minute and 16 seconds as Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Subaru) hold the advantage in the chase for the Dunlop Championship.
Jim Harrison, who is one of the title contenders, led initially and was six seconds ahead of McNulty on the opening stage with Maguire some 30 seconds adrift and down in fourth place.
Out on S.S. 2, Harrison lost over nine minutes when his Subaru was off the road. Earlier, on the opening stage, the third championship contender, Patrick Elliott lost over two minutes when his Subaru punctured a third of the way into the stage.
McNulty leads Donegal driver, Paul Harris, who is driving an older Subaru Impreza. The Hyundai Accent of Cahal Arthurs is up to third from Maguire with Sean Devine in an ex-McGarrity Subaru WRC in fifth place.
Ivan Stewart who held a top three slot after the first stage, is now sixth from Hugh Martin Doherty and Sean Gallagher, both in Subarus.
Group N chargers, Willie Fannin (Subaru) and Brendan Kelly (Mitsubishi) are on the same times and they round off the top ten
Jim Harrison lost a further minute on S.S. 4 when he slid into soft ground.
Unofficial leader board after S.S. 4:
T. McNulty (Subaru WRC) 28m. 23s.
P. Harris (Subaru Impreza) 29m. 39s.
C. Arthurs (Hyundai WRC) 29m. 58s.
N. Maguire (Subaru WRC) 30m. 01s.
S. Devine (Subaru WRC) 30m. 11s.
I. Stewart (Escort Cosworth) 30m. 21s.