New car for Jennings as locals get ready for Galway

Editorial Department • Published 4 Feb 2010 15:22 0 Comments

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Garry Jennings' new car which he will be competing in this weekend.

Garry Jennings debuts his new Mitsubishi Evo 9 on this weekend's Galway International Rally, but he will face stiff competition from a strong contingent of local drivers, with both Richard Cathcart and Alastair Fisher among those in with a realistic chance of taking Group N honours in the year's first major event.

The opening round of the Citroen Irish Tarmac Rally Championship has attracted a high quality Group N entry, with the local drivers being joined by Craig Breen in the new Fiesta S2000 and Alan Ring. Pre-event favourite for the category however is newly crowned British Rally Champion Keith Cronin, who will have Fermanagh's Barry McNulty in the passenger seat for the first time.

After a quiet season in 2009 Richard Cathcart will return to his familiar Subaru for the rally, with Alastair Fisher also in the same car that took him to third place in both the British and Irish championships last year. For Ballinamallard's Garry Jennings however it will be a new car, as he makes his debut in his recently acquired ex Rory Galligan Mitsubishi.

"It's going to take a couple of rallies to get used to it because it's a completely different suspension to what I've been used to," reckons Garry. "I wouldn't be expecting to be on the pace in Galway unless it is deceptive, because I know it's completely different from the car I've been driving for three years. I just haven't had time to go testing because I've been busy at work but I know it will be good car. It'll just take a bit of time."

Changes in the regulations will allow the group N cars to run with a larger restrictor this season, and the change should see a significant boost in the power of the top cars in the class. It is a change that Garry is looking forward to. "We have quite an increase in power with the new restrictor this year and it'll make a big difference. It even sounds more like a Group A car now," he said. "I had to take her back to the factory and get it mapped for the new restrictor so I don't really know what it's like yet, but it's something everyone is just going to have to get used to."

The Toyota Corolla of Gareth MacHale leads the field away from Oranmore this Saturday morning, with the winner being crowned back in the town on Sunday evening after 150 competitive stage miles.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 04 Feb 10

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