The 2010 Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship continued with the McKelvey Bushwhacker Rally on 25th September.

The event was won by Martin Cairns, co driven by Andrew Purcell, who finished 8 seconds ahead of fellow Co Tyrone driver James Gillen.

It was Gillen who topped the timesheets after stage one by just 1 second with both Cairns and Dogleap winner Donagh Kelly equal second through the short Lough Braden test. Kelly got the jump on stage two to take the lead into the first service halt but it was Martin Cairns who returned to the action in determined mood, reeling off seven fastest times over the long middle loop of the event to return to the Castlederg service park in the lead.

Donagh Kelly held second overall to the halfway point of the event but was unable to fend off the recovering Gillen who was making amends for throwing away an early lead after a poor time through the second stage of the day.

Hankook MSA NI Championship leader Stuart Biggerstaff made his customary cautious start on his first ever visit to the Omagh Forests, the Subaru driver initially languishing outside the top 15 for the first few stages and allowing his Championship rival Mark Donnelly to get ahead.

However a storming drive on the later part of the event saw Biggerstaff finish the final test to tie in equal fourth place with Donnelly, with the later getting the nod by virtue of the faster time through the first stage of the day.Top 2wd finisher was the Mk2 Escort of Vivian Hamill in seventh overall with Frank Kelly and Adrian Hetherington hot on his heels in ninth & tenth.

The Championship’s Historic section was won by Andy Johnston in his HSR Chevette ahead of Tommy O’Connell in an Escort RS.

The top 2 MSA NIRC Junior contenders now also top the overall Championship tables, and with the 2 young chargers being virtually inseparable on overall stages times in Omagh, the final two rounds will be watched with great interest.

Top 6 finishers: McKelvey Bushwhacker Rally

1. Martin Cairns/Andrew Purcell – Subaru Impreza WRC – 35.35.0 2. James Gillen/Jason Harron – Subaru Impreza – 35.43.0 3. Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Group N – 35.52.0 4. Mark Donnelly/Sean Ferris – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Group N – 36.05.0 5. StuartBiggerstaff/AntonyNestor–SubaruImprezaWRC–36.05.0

HANKOOK MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship leaders after round 8: OVERALL (provisional)

1st Stuart Biggerstaff (junior) 66 points 2nd Mark Donnelly (GpN/junior) 59 points 3rd Cyril Doherty (GpN) 47 points 4th Drew Stewart (2wd) 37 points 5th Derek McGarrity 36 points

Sunoco MSA NI Group N Championship Leader:

Mark Donnelly

Hankook MSA NI 2wd Championship Leader:

Drew Stewart

Superdrive MSA NI Junior Championship Leader:

= Stuart Biggerstaff = Mark Donnelly

Hankook MSA NI Ladies Championship Leader:

Samantha Thom

The next round of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship will be Rathfriland Motor Club’s Down Rally Rally on 23rd October 2010.