Melvyn Evans and co-driver Sean Mullally won the RBS International Manx Rally last weekend, arriving back at the finish at the TT Grandstand in Douglas 50 seconds ahead of the similar Subaru Impreza WRC of Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield.
It was Welshman Evans' second victory on the event - his first came in 2002 - and Duckworth's sixth as runner-up.
Third place was in doubt right until the final moment but was eventually decided in Jon Ingram and Ian Allsop's favour to make it a Subaru 1-2-3.
Defending MSA Gravel champions Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery seemed to be heading for the final podium place but, on the last of the fourteen stages, their Hyundai Accent WRC dived off the road and became stuck in a bog. It was fully four minutes before it was on the move again and the resultant time loss put the crew down to tenth overall in the final results.
David Kynaston and Andy Russell were also in contention for third in their Audi A3 Quattro, but an accident involving a previous car held them up long enough to demote them to fourth place.
Group N ‘Production' category cars filled the remainder of the top six, with Keith Cronin and Greg Shinnors fifth and Neil McCance and Graham Hopewell sixth, both in Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9s, putting in excellent runs to take top points in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, of which the Manx was the third qualifying round.
The event was also a round of both the Richard Egger Insurance MSA Asphalt and Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championships. Evans and Mullally took maximum points in the former, while Duckworth/Broomfield were unbeaten in the latter.
Top local crew in the final results were Rob Watson and Bruce Craig who brought their Vauxhall Nova Kit Car to the finish in 13th place, while Lee ad David Batty's Escort was just inside the top 20.
![Melvyn Evans / Sean MullalIy. RBS International Manx Rally winner. May 10 2008. [Pic credit: CMWI.NET]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/438577.jpg)
