Mark Higgins and Gwyndaf Evans, two of the leading contenders in the British Rally Championship, took the two top places in the Ulster Rally, run over 19 stages on Friday and Saturday. Higgins, in a Nissan Sunny GTi, won his first championship round by one minute 11 seconds from reigning champion Evans in a works Ford Escort RS2000.

The leading Irish drivers were Andrew Nesbitt (Armagh) in a Toyota Celica GT4 and Eamonn Boland (Wexford) in a Ford Escort WRC. They were placed third and fourth respectively.

Robbie Head kept his British title hopes alive with third place in the points standings (fifth overall). At the wheel of a Renault Maxi Megane, Head was fastest on 14 of the 19 stages, but a faulty gearbox sensor cost him two-and-a-half minutes while leading the rally on stage five, and a minor accident on the first stage on Saturday lost him a further three minutes.

Championship leader Alister McRae was fifth and retains his series lead, ahead of Evans by two points, 97 to 95. Head is third on 89 followed by Higgins (76) and Martin Rowe (71).

A broken driveshaft cost McRae at least six minutes on SS10, when he was only a minute behind rally leader Higgins. He dropped down to 10th but gamely fought back in his VW Golf GTi to hold his championship lead. After winning the Welsh and Scottish rallies, McRae has it all to do in the Manx international on September 11/13.