Championship Leader Races Out Of Belfast - Into Hospital - And Out Of The Race

There was high drama on Friday afternoon as Marcus Gronholm, who has been leading the World Rally Championship - and his co-driver, Timo Rautiainen - were taken to Sligo General hospital following a collision on Stage Four of the inaugural Irish round of the event.

Gronholm's car spun off the road 3km from the end of the stage around Lough Gill in north Sligo.

Gronholm lost consciousness following the crash but he was later released after being examined by doctors. The Finn's co-driver Timo Rautianinen was unhurt in the crash.

"The accident happened near the finish on a wide, right corner," said Gronholm after he had been released from hospital in Sligo.

"I braked for the bend but it was extremely slippery and the car skated off the road.

"I managed to turn it sideways before hitting a stone wall hard. It was a big, big impact because the car stopped immediately and both wheels on my side of the car were ripped off.

"We were taken to hospital where we were both given a scan but that showed no problems. My neck is sore but otherwise I'm OK," he said.

Gronholm acknowledged that reigning world champion, Sebastien Loeb is now in pole position to win the championship again but he insisted that he would "not give up hope yet".

The crash has handed the advantage in the title race to the Frenchman with two rounds to go and ironically follows Gronholm's triumph in Belfast on Thursday night.

Thousands of Belfast spectators saw Gronholm and the defending world champion Loeb go head-to-head in the opening stage of Rally Ireland - which took place in the grounds of Parliament Buildings at Stormont.

Watched by Princess Anne, who was on hand to wave the drivers off alongside Assembly First Minister, Ian Paisley, Gronholm and Loeb raced each other on a 1.82-kilometer (1.13-mile) course that, for the only time in the 20-stage competition, put two drivers on the course at the same time.

Gronholm actually won last night with a time of 1 minute, 30.8 seconds, with Loeb 0.9 seconds slower.

Kris Meeke of Northern Ireland was first out and came third, one second behind Loeb.

However, late on Friday, Dungannon driver Kris Meeke's challenge was also effectively over after he suffered an engine failure on stage five.

After doing so well at Thursday's opening super-special stage at Stormont and after doing well to remain in the top six after four stages, he then hit the trouble to drop way out of contention.

As well as the stages around Sligo on Friday, the remainder - over Saturday and Sunday - are also in the rural northwest of Ireland.

Some routes cross the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, reflecting local organisers' agenda of promoting all-Ireland co-operation. This is the first time the World Rally Championships has ever been staged in Ireland, north or south.

Rally Ireland is the 15th of 16 races in the 2007 World Rally Championship, which ends Dec. 2 in Wales.

(BMcC)