Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey started well in the Toddsleap.com Ulster International Rally yesterday with their NVD Subaru Impreza setting best times on all three of the opening stages centred on Ballygawley, Co Tyrone, giving them a lead of 18 seconds.
The Wexford-Waterford pair are virtually certain to clinch the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, as the only rivals who could possibly catch them, three times British champion Mark Higgins and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy, would need to win both this event and the final round in Cork next month, even if Boland fails to score again.
Higgins was in third place last night, behind Englishman Guy Wilks and David Moynihan from Mallow, and they are involved in the separate battle for the Tesco 99 Octane British title, with the Ulster Rally counting for both series.
TODDSLEAP.COM ULSTER INTERNATIONAL RALLY AT ARMAGH (ROUND 7 OF GLOBAL GROUP IRISH TARMAC CHAMPIONSHIP): POSITIONS AFTER 3 STAGES:
1 Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Subaru Impreza WRC) 22m 24s,
2 Guy Wilks/David Moynihan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 22m 42s,
3 Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy (Subaru Impreza Gp N) 22m 50s,
4 Derek McGarrity/James McKee (Subaru Impreza WRC) 22m 59s,
5 Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Subaru Impreza WRC) 23m 06s,
6 Kevin Lynch/Francis Regan (Subaru Impreza WRC) 23m 10s,
7 Gwyndaf Evans/Paul Nagle (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 23m 25s,
8 Darren Gass/Neil Shanks (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 23m 36s,
9 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (Toyota Corolla WRC) 23m 37s,
10 Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 23m 41s.