Evans and Mullally clinch RBS title

Melvyn Evans and Sean Mullally won the RBS International Manx National Rally on Saturday.

They finished 50.9 seconds ahead of Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield in their Subaru Impreza WRC as Evans clinched his second RBS Manx title.

Jon Ingram and Ian Allsop completed the top three.

Marcus Dodd and Manx co-driver Andrew Bargery had been in line for third place until the final stage when an uncharacteristic mistake cost them five minutes and put them down in 10th.

Kenny McKinstry had been bidding to become the first driver to complete three wins in a row and an unprecedented sixth win at the event but was forced to retire while 16 seconds behind Evans.

The top Manx pairing were Kirk Michael's Rob Watson and Bruce Craig in 13th who fought back well after a puncture on Saturday morning put them way down the leaderboard.

After the race, Evans admitted he eased up the pace in the closing stages (audio file attached):

Other local showings saw George Collister and Janet Craine in 16th, Lee and David Batty in 19th, Manx co-driver Rob Fagg and John Cope in 20th, Nigel and Michaela Cannell in 23rd, Carine Walker and Danielle Matthews in 30th, Andy Leece and Graham Fargher in 31st, Manx co-driver Ashley Trimble and Graham Hollis in 32nd, Richard Curphey and Andrew Holmes in 33rd, Martyn Jones and Maurice Snell in 36th, Adrian Kermode and John Coleman in 38th, Ian and Rivka Corkill in 40th, Declan Jackson and Chris Heyes in 44th, Kevin Vondy and Nicholas Kaighen in 49th, David Craine and Dave Rawling in 50th, Nicholas Woodman and Manx co-driver Anthony Cashen in 53rd, Mark Bumfrey and Paul Bumfrey in 54th, Manx co-driver Richard Skinner and Harry Dodd in 57th, John Corlett and Roy Sweetman in 58th, Walter Bridson and Dave Parry in 60th, Kevin Papper and Melanie Caple in 65th, Rob Callin and Chris Reynolds in 66th, Andy Kirk and Kate Morris in 67th, and David Jones and Elaine Bell in 69th.