Garry Jennings claimed seventh overall on the Galway International Rally, with the Kesh driver bemoaning the lack of power from his outdated R5 Fiesta as he slipped from fourth place over the closing stages.

Jennings had performed beyond expectations to get within touching distance of the podium, but as the roads dried out in the unseasonable weather, he had to give second-best to the more modern machinery as he slid down the leader board.

Lacking in power

“I’m just lacking in power, and I know that,” Garry acknowledged. “I’m driving as hard as anybody else, but there is nothing I can do when the stages dry up.

“There is a lack of power, and when stages like Black Road dried up, I was beating my head against the wall. The difference is clear to be seen – even when you are watching the cars – but you can only drive what you have.”

Sam Moffett set the early pace on the opening stage, but Jennings was happy with a time just four seconds off the leader despite some early drama.

“I went out to the first stage and we couldn’t get the car out of neutral because it had broken a wire,” he explained.

“We found the wire just before the start of the stage and got it fixed with seconds to go. I hardly had my helmet on before I had to go, so I had no time to prepare or set myself, but I was happy enough with my time.”

Steady pace

Jennings settled into a steady pace after carrying out the early repairs, and assisted by the rain which arrived on stage three, he moved into fifth place after the opening day of the two-day rally, despite a mishap on the final test of the day.

“I spun on the last stage on Saturday which kind of dented my confidence a bit and I had to go back up the road and turn, but otherwise it was grand,” he said.

The opening stage of Sunday was cancelled due to ice, but Jennings moved into fourth on the next test after the demise of Cathan McCourt, who slid off the road in his Citroen.

As the roads started to dry Meiron Evans pulled clear at the head of the field to take the win, but the conditions proved detrimental to Jennings’ hopes.

The local driver lost over 20 seconds to the leader on the high-speed Blacks Road stage, and he was overhauled by Callum Devine, Jonathan Greer and Patrick O’Brien over the remaining three stages to drop outside the top six by the finish.

 

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