NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CLARE RALLY:CORK DRIVER Brian O'Mahony (Subaru WRC) and his co-driver John Higgins yesterday won the Auburn Lodge Hotel Clare Rally, the penultimate round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship to move into the lead of the series.

They finished 19 seconds ahead of Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry with Kevin Kelleher/Ger Conway, 57 seconds further adrift to complete a Subaru top three. Pre-event Dunlop series leaders, Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley retired their Subaru with transmission troubles on the fifth stage and are six points adrift of O’Mahony/Higgins.

Fitzmaurice and O’Mahony shared the lead on the first test with the former moving 18 seconds in front after the loop of three stages. O’Mahony posted a good time through SS 4 but Fitzmaurice lost time when his Subaru failed to engage fifth gear, it stopped on SS 5. O’Mahony went on to claim victory with Maguire’s second enough to keep the trio involved in the battle for the Vard Memorial Trophy.

Frank Kelly and co-driver, Liam Brennan (Escort), who finished fifth overall, clinched the Dunlop Mk. 2 Champions Trophy, Colm Murphy/Don Montgomery (Subaru) won the Motorsport Safety Team Group N award and Denis Collins/Tommy Commane (Ford Escort) won the Dunlop Historic series.