Garry continues good form with overall win

Editorial Department • Published 8 Sep 2011 13:30 0 Comments

Garry Jennings continued his recent run of good results with overall victory on last weekend's Castle Hellfire Stages Rally. It was a successful event for Fermanagh drivers, with Willie Mavitty winning Group N and finishing sixth overall.

Jennings dominated the event after setting the fastest time on the opening stage, although a late puncture threatened to ruin his celebrations. With Escort driver Rodney Wilton posing his biggest challenge, Garry set a succession of five fastest times despite tricky conditions.

"There was a lot of rain and it made it very difficult," said Garry. "It was that bad you couldn't see the road. The rain was bouncing off the road and then there was a mist coming up and it was hard to see where you were going. It was treacherous."

Despite the wintry conditions Garry opened up a one minute twelve second advantage going into the final stage. It was an advantage that he would need however, as a puncture saw valuable seconds slipping away.

With the flat wheel coming early in the stage Garry had ten miles to cover, but knowing stopping to put the spare on would cost him victory he was left with little option but to continue in an attempt to cling on to the top spot.

"The puncture pulled the wing off and the side skirt and the bumper and then threw the tyre off," revealed Garry. "Then she wrecked the rim, but we were able to get to the finish. Once the tyre flailed off and I was driving on the rim it wasn't so bad. The rim started to disintegrate for the last mile or so and there was only spokes left then. If it had gone onto the disc I would have had to stop because I would have wrecked her, but we just coasted to the finish. If I had stopped I would have lost the rally anyway so I had to take the chance and go on."

Even though Rodney Wilton passed Garry on the stage he knew if he could keep the blue Escort in sight he would hold onto the lead, and he eventually triumphed with almost 40 seconds to spare.

Willie Mavitty had no such late dramas. After a slow start that saw him back in tenth place after the opening stage, the Enniskillen driver was quickly up to sixth, a position he would hold for the remainder of the day.

Both drivers are now preparing for the final round of the Irish Tarmac Championship, the Cork 20 Rally, with Garry Jennings in with a chance of winning the Group N championship title for the second time.

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This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 08 Sep 11

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