Garry Jennings made it two wins out of two this year as he cruised to a comfortable victory on Sunday’s Mayo Stages rally.
Fresh from his recent win on the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Championship in Galway, the Kesh driver took his Subaru to Mayo and once again dominated the event, setting the fastest time on eight of the nine stages to take the win by over a minute and a half.
The weather conditions was making life very difficult for the drivers, with the wet muddy tarmac proving a challenge for many. 
It was similar conditions to the Galway International Rally and once again Jennings thrived in the wet, pulling out an early twelve second first stage lead over the Subaru of Niall Maguire.
The Fiesta of Declan Boyle was expected to be Garry’s nearest challenger but he was over forty seconds adrift after just two stages as the Fermanagh man powered clear of the rest of the field. After the first loop of three stages he had built what looked like an unassailable of almost a minute, and as the day progressed he continued to build his advantage. 
By the second visit to service after six stages the lead stood at one minute twenty three seconds, with Peadar Hurson now in second spot. Garry was able to ease back on the final three tests to preserve his car, but his no risk approach was still rewarded with a further two fastest times as he confirmed his victory.
In class fourteen Chris Armstrong was hoping to challenge for honours in his Ford Escort and was sitting third in class after the opening test, but he hit trouble on the second stage, dropping two and a half minutes and plummeting to seventy seventh overall. 
His chances of a class podium had evaporated but he mounted an impressive comeback drive over the next seventh stage to claw his way back to a finishing position of seventeenth overall and sixth in class.
Having survived the Mayo event unscathed Jennings will head to West Cork for the second round of the Irish Tarmac Championship this weekend. 
He has never competed on the rally before and his car is not eligible for championship points, but he will be hoping he can secure a hat-trick of victories. 
Alastair Fisher is also making the journey to Clonakilty, where he will be looking to go one better than his second place finish in Galway.