Andrew Nesbitt finished the first day of the AA Circuit of Ireland rally yesterday with a 20-second lead as his Subaru set four fastest times during the day's seven stages.

Just as the rally became a battle between the Subarus and Toyotas last year's winners, Austin McHale and Brian Murphy, crashed out of the event on the seventh and final stage of the day in south Armagh. Their Toyota Ireland Celica slipped off the road and finished on its roof in a field to deal a severe blow to their Tarmac Championship aspirations.

It was Bertie Fisher who set the pace once the rally moved out from the Castle Park spectator stage and he was a a second ahead of the trio of McHale, Nesbitt and Ian Greer. Gaining precious seconds on the stages of south Armagh, Nesbitt gained most on SSS Drumbunion where he was 11 seconds up on both McHale and Fisher. The latter was his closest pursuer throughout the afternoon while McHale, in third place, admitted it was taking time to find a rhythm.

Meanwhile, Greer lost some ground when brilliant sunshine caused a glare on the pace notes of his co-driver Dean Beckett. Prior to McHale's retirement Stephen Murphy, in his Escort WRC, fell by the wayside with differential problems.

Gene Meegan (Mitsubishi) leads Group N and John Keatley (Porsche) has a 16-second lead over Frank Fennell (Porsche) in the Historic class.

Today's action starts with stages at Glenasmole and Sally Gap, two service stops in Arklow and a group of stages around Avoca and Wicklow. Tomorrow there will be a spectator stage at The Square in Tallaght followed by stages near Mullingar, two service stops in Kilbeggan, stages near Ardee and Drogheda before a long drive to Bangor. On Easter Monday there will be eight more stages, six in the Mourne Mountains, service in Hilltown, Co Down and the finish at Bangor Marina from approx 3.30 p.m.