Ireland - after SS3: Mikkelsen takes early lead for Skoda

SS1: Kopecký fastest on Titanic superspecial

Jan Kopecký has made history by winning the first stage of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally to count as a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Kopecký completed the 1.8-kilometre Titanic Super Special Stage in Belfast in a time of 2m11.8s at the wheel of his ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

Sepp Wiegand impressed with the second fastest time, 0.2s slower than Kopecký, in his ŠKODA Auto Deutschland Fabia.

ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen was third fastest, 1.2s behind Kopecký with Craig Breen fourth in his Saintéloc Racing Peugeot 207 S2000, 3.5s down on Kopecký.

Garry Jennings was the leading IRC Production Cup runner in fifth with Josh Moffett sixth in a Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. Former Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Juho Hänninen was seventh with Robert Barrable eighth in his ŠKODA Ireland-backed entry.

Sam Moffett took ninth with Alastair Fisher completing the top 10 after a cautious effort in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

Robert Consani was the leading IRC 2WD Cup runner in 12th overall at the wheel of a Renault Mégane RS.

The bulk of the drivers reported a slippery surface caused by a build-up of dust, while some had issues negotiating the tight turns around the spectator stage constructed under the famous Harland and Wolff cranes used to build the Titanic liner more than 100 years ago.

SS2: Mikkelsen quickest to take rally lead

Andreas Mikkelsen has moved into the lead of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally by going fastest on the rain-hit 12.96-kilometre Drummond run, stage two of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.

Driving a ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000, Mikkelsen completed the test in a time of 8m14.6s to open up a lead of 5.5s over fellow Fabia driver Juho Hänninen.

“It was a difficult stage, very slippery,” said Norwegian Mikkelsen. “I made a mistake in one junction turning in too late. Other than that it was an okay stage and I was driving to the conditions.”

Finn Hänninen, who was second fastest, 2.1s down on Mikkelsen, said: “I was a bit too hard with the tyre choice I chose because I couldn’t get enough heat into them. I was sliding a lot, it was not easy.”

Hänninen’s ŠKODA Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecký said his choice of slick tyres had hit his chances in the damp conditions. The Titanic Super Special Stage winner is now 9.6s adrift of Mikkelsen in the overall standings after posting a time of 8m25.4s.

Craig Breen, starting his first IRC round of 2012, reported a lack of confidence in his Saintéloc Racing Peugeot 207 S2000, which he is using in competition for the first time. “In the high-speed stuff I am not fully 100 per cent sure of the car,” said the Irishman, who was fifth fastest. “The tyre was too hard but it was my decision.”

Meanwhile, team-mate Mathieu Arzeno has no working handbrake on his Peugeot but still impressed by going fourth quickest.

Northern Ireland’s Alastair Fisher, in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000, was eighth fastest. He said: “There was no grip at all hardly. It was very patchy, very slippery and the road is so greasy.”

Garry Jennings, who is expected to chase IRC Production Cup honours in his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer, said: “I went too brave and put the hardest tyres available thinking it was dry.”

IRC 2WD Cup contender Marty McCormack suffered a spin in his Citroën DS3 R3T. He said: “I think we had too hard a front tyre because the stage was wetter than expected.”

Category rival Tommy Doyle reported a soft brake pedal in his Renault Clio R3, while Mark Donnelly said he suffered a “huge moment” at a left-hand junction in his Lancer.

SS3: Hanninen closes on Mikkelsen

Juho Hänninen has made it three stage winners out of three on the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally, the third event of the all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge season.

Hänninen, in a ŠKODA Motorsport Fabia Super 2000, was 2.7s faster than defending IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen, whose overall lead to Hänninen has been trimmed from 5.5s to 2.8s.

“We had a big delay on the start line [due to the late running of the stage] and the tyres were completely cold. Luckily it was drying at the finish,” said the Finn.

Mikkelsen lost ground when he slid wide into a fence early in the 25.16-kilometre stage. He said: “The stage was more dry and I had a softer slick with a cut. I made a mistake at the beginning and lost a couple of seconds. I was braking too late into a left-hand corner and went into a fence but luckily I got going again.”

Jan Kopecký admitted he wasn’t happy with his driving and lacked confidence in his factory Fabia, while Craig Breen said his Saintéloc Racing Peugeot 207 S2000 wasn’t handling as he would have liked on the “jumps and bumps” of the demanding stage west of Armagh.

Sepp Wiegand lost time with a front-left puncture on his ŠKODA Auto Deutschland Fabia, while Garry Jennings reported a loss of intercom on his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer. A brake issue then caused him more woe.

Mark Donnelly lost more than 30 seconds stuck in a field following an overshoot. Menya Krószer’s IRC 2WD Cup hopes were dented when he suffered a puncture and a broken driveshaft on his Honda Civic Type R, while Robert Consani had to stop to change a puncture on in his Renault Mégane RS.

Crews are now heading to Armagh for a 30-minute service halt.