Flawless from Donagh Kelly as he still leads after 10 stages in Donegal

Donagh Kelly has extended his lead at the top of the leaderboard in the Joule Donegal International Rally, after today’s opening four stages.

Kelly and Conor Foley, in their Ford Focus WRC are now over 21 seconds ahead of Manus Kelly and Donall Barrett in a Subaru Impreza WRC.

The Kelly/ Foley combination have won all ten stages so far in the rally.

Last year’s winners Manus Kelly and Barrett hold a 26 seconds  lead over the third placed Fermanagh/ Donegal combination of Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy, also in a Subaru WRC.

There is no change to the top five with Alastair Fisher and Gordon Noble, in a Fiesta R5,  still in fourth place with Sam Moffett and Karl Atkinson, also in a Fiesta R 5,  in fifth place.

However, Moffett has cut Fisher’s lead to just over  6.9 seconds after posting two quicker times over the last two stages.

Moffett registered a time of 5.14.8 just 0.03 of a second slower that Donagh Kelly, in a WRC, over Knockalla second time around.

The all Donegal crew of Joseph McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney, in their Fabia R5, were also big movers over Knockalla.

There is a new leader of the National Rally.  Kevin Gallagher and Gerard Callaghan in a Darian lead the National.

They lead by 4.9 seconds from Damien Gallagher and Mac Walsh in a Ford Escort Mk2

Gary McPhillips and John McNulty are having a ding-dong battle with Declan Gallagher  and John McCarthy.

McPhillips and McCarthy have retaken third place with just 0.1.3 of second separating them from fourth place Declan Gallagher and John McCarthy.

The crews are on a break before taking on the day’s remaining four stages.

This afternoon’s stages are double loops of Carnhill and Gartan.