In third place was a happier - than on the Jim Clark! - Derek McGarrity, his Subaru Impreza behaving itself this time, while fourth was Eamon Boland and Paul Bird fifth.
Rory Galligan was equally dominant in the Group N class although his winning margin over Manx resident Robert Watson was down to half a minute by the finish. Unlike his Mitsubishi UK works team-mate, David Higgins, who retired with an under bonnet fire in his Lancer, Galligan's progress by comparison was almost serene - until he got to the final stage.
"Apart from smacking the front corner on the first bend of the final stage it was fine," said Galligan. "We didn't recce that bit and as we set off we kept looking up side roads for the proper turn. After that we had to settle down because we knew Watson wasn't far behind and we reckoned he still had something in reserve for over the mountain. He took ten seconds out of us on the one before and 20 seconds on the final one but we still had a little in hand."
For Watson it was a magnificent run, the local man never allowing Galligan to relax and who knows what might have happened, if he hadn't bumped the front end and damaged the radiator on Friday night?
Ninth overall and third in the Production class was Barry Clark who staged a remarkable fight-back when first his dog 'box failed on Thursday night and he completed the rally with a standard unit, and then on Friday did four stages with front wheel drive only when the rear diff failed.
Rounding off the top ten was the effervescent Gary Jennings who had a problem with his lights in the dark on Thursday night and also lost time with a broken driveshaft.
At least he fared better than Aaron MacHale who retired with engine failure, Steve Petch who had a rear diff failure and Lorna Smith, who suffered suspension damage on the final test on Friday night.
