Jim Clark International Rally: end of leg one

David Higgins and Ieuan Thomas have finished the first leg of the Jim Clark International Rally lying second overall in the British Rally Championship points.

While David felt the Subaru Impreza N14 was not handling well at the start of the event, it felt better as the day went on, although they feel there isn't enough power at times. They currently lie second behind David's older brother Mark, with Welshman Stuart Jones close behind in third.

There was drama in stage four when the crew stopped to help Guy Wilks and Phil Pugh extinguish a fire in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9. The fire ended Guy's rally.

And it was quick thinking that helped get the crew through the day after they got a hole in the radiator during a run through Langton. They got to the start of the next stage, where David chewed a piece of wood down to the right size to plug the hole, covered it with some gloves, cable tied it off and drove on. They're not sure how the hole happened, most likely when they landed after a jump.

Their TQ.com team mates Hugh Evans and Iestyn Williams currently lie 12th in the BRC points.

The action gets underway again tomorrow morning at 08.30. More news tomorrow night.