Jennings takes Group N victory in Galway
Editorial Department • Published 9 Feb 2012 13:00
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Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy celebrate winning Group N in the Galway International Rally.
Garry Jennings won Group N in the Galway International Rally and claimed fourth overall, starting his defence of his Irish Tarmac Championship crown in style.
There was a quartet of Fermanagh finishers, with William Mavitty finishing 17th overall in his Mitsubishi, while Rory Byrne claimed 22nd. In the Historic section multiple Irish Tarmac Champion Mervyn Johnston brought his Mini Cooper home second overall behind the Porsche of John Keatley, winning his class ahead of the rapid Ray Cunningham in a similar Mini.
For Jennings it was a routine victory in group N. He made a fast start and claimed an early lead, and once he built up an advantage in his class he was never challenged, although he almost threw it all away when he slid off the road on the third stage.
"It was very slippery, treacherous. As tricky conditions as you are ever going to get," revealed Garry. "I went almost too hard on the second stage, and went off then on the third and then I decided to calm down a bit. I went through a wall on the third stage, and then everyone else seemed to go through it as well! I pushed the oil cooler back but it was nothing bad and I didn't lose much time. The rest of the rally I was nice and neat and tidy, even though it was typical Galway and there was plenty of sliding about."
After two stages Garry had established a ten second lead in Group N, and his times also elevated him to third overall among the World Rally Cars and ahead of eventual winner Darren Gass. Even with his mishap on stage three he was the quickest of the Group N contenders, and although he slipped to fifth overall he was able to reclaim fourth when Gareth McHale hit trouble.
At the top of the leader board Donnelly, McNulty and Gass were embroiled in a thrilling three way tussle for victory, but there were no such dramas in Group N, with Garry eventually winning his class by a margin of over a minute and a half.
It was the ideal start to his championship challenge, and he will be hoping that he can add to his lead at Easter when he takes his Mitsubishi onto the Circuit of Ireland stages. Before that however he is hoping to venture back into the forests. Having won in Donegal just a week prior to his Galway success, Garry is hopeful he will be behind the wheel of his Subaru for the Fivemiletown Spring Rally later this month.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 09 Feb 12
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