McGarrity mixes it up in battle to keep ahead

HAVING won rounds one and three in a Mini and a Subaru, Derek McGarrity will car- hop again for tomorrow’s fourth round of the Northern Ireland rally championship.

McGarrity, the reigning champion, heads the line-up for the Modern Tyre Service Mourne Rally in a Mitsubishi Evo X as he bids to stretch his lead in the series and secure a record fifth title.

Alan Carmichael, second in the standings and runner-up to McGarrity in the previous round — the Tour of the Sperrins — is missing from a starting list which sees the Ford Escorts of Alistair Cochrane, Camillus Bradley, David Armstrong and Fintan McGrady line up behind the Mitsubishi of McGarrity.

Niall Henry and Mark Massey lead the production challenge in their Mitsubishis.

Based at Carnbane industrial estate, Newry, the rally is scheduled to get under way at 8.30am with the first stage of 13 stages, Camlough, at 8.55am.

Meanwhile, Kris Meeke contented himself with just two runs over the shakedown stage for the Rally Italia ahead of last night’s ceremonial start in Cagliari.

The Citroen driver set the sixth fastest time, three seconds down on the Ford Fiesta of former F1 winner Robert Kubica.

LEWIS Hamilton has insisted his feud that erupted in Monaco with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg is now “done and dusted”.

Speaking for the first time since leaving Monte Carlo in a huff after he and Rosberg became the best of enemies, Hamilton claims talks have been held to clear the air.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, he said: “Just like friends, we have our ups and downs, we've known each other for a long, long time, but it's done and dusted. We're now looking forward to working together.”