Kris Meeke has arrived in style at the Donegal International Rally, as he leads the way at the end of the first stage loop.
The WRC veteran and his co-driver Liam Regan have dominated the first three stages of the event, with the Dungannon man making his first crack at the Donegal stages look like a breeze in his Mervyn Evans Motorsport-prepared Toyota Yaris R2.
Conditions were greasy on the first stage of the day, Sleeghan, but Meeke charged to the top of the times by 4 seconds.
He continued his form on a dry Sean Bhaile stage, finishing 2 seconds clear of the chasing pack to make it two stage wins from two.
His time of a 7:26.2 on the third stage of the day, Doire Uí Fhríl, was enough to give him a 6.5 second lead heading into the first service of the day in Bunbeg.
Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan. Photo: Darren Mulhern
Callum Devine has moved into second place overall as he aims to win his fourth Donegal International Rally in a row.
Faced with a difficult task as the first car out on the road on a greasy morning, Devine sat third at the end of the first stage – but as the roads continued to dry he found his rhythm.
On stage 2 he set the second-fastest time, and he was the winner of Stage 3 as he clocked a time of 7:24.9 in his Skoda Fabia R2.
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Current M-Sport WRC driver Josh McErlean has impressed also, as he sits in third in the standings.
Just a week away from the prospect of tackling one of the WRC’s most challenging gravel rallies – Rally Akropolis in Greece – the County Derry native has looked right at home in his Ford Fiesta R2, clocking top-three times in the day’s first three stages.
McErlean and co-driver Eoin Tracy had been sitting in second following the first two stages of the day, before slipping back slightly on Stage 3.
The Ford factory driver now lies 11.8 seconds off the top ahead of the day’s second loop.
Eddie Doherty has jumped into fourth place in his Skoda Fabia R2, but has been distanced by the top 3.
Doherty sits 29.2s back from Meeke’s leading time, but is less than two seconds ahead fifth-placed Philip Allen in his Toyota Yaris R2.
Elsewhere, there was a dramatic moment for Mark Kelly on Stage 2, as he rolled his Skoda Fabia R2 on his first time through Sean Bhaile.
Declan Boyle’s rally is also over, with his Skoda coming to a halt on the third stage.
The afternoon action is set to get underway at 2:26pm, with drivers again tackling the Sleeghan, Sean Bhaile and Doire Uí Fhríl stages.