Holes in Donegal field allow Gass to rise
Over the next three days, along with his rivals, 22 stages will determine who can master the tough terrain and join an illustrious list of winners of Ireland’s only three-day rally.
Probably for the first time in its 40-year history, there is no former winning driver on the entry list therefore predicting a winner is even more difficult.
Gass lit up this year’s Tarmac campaign, partnered by Monaghan’s Enda Sherry, and built on his opening round victory in Galway with maximum points on the Circuit of Ireland. With little or no real experience of the Kerry/Cork terrain, he was second in Killarney and is already 20 points ahead of his closest rival Gary Jennings, so taking top spot in his first appearance in Donegal is unlikely to intimidate Gass.
For Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan this is a crucial event in terms of his Tarmac title ambitions. Having dominated the Rally of the Lakes, he will be expected to punch in a similar performance in Donegal. He’s 30 points behind Gass and, along with Derry co-driver Tony McDaid on the notes, must cut the gap before the final two rounds in Ulster and his home event, the Cork ‘20’.
Jennings will campaign a Subaru WRC for the first time in several years. The reigning Group N Tarmac champion has a significant advantage in the showroom class, his performances in his Mitsubishi Evo IX has catapulted him to a stunning second overall.
Switching to the more potent WRC may give him a better chance but this is an unusual season. Tarmac regulars such as defending champion Tim McNulty and former five-time champion Eugene Donnelly have ditched their bids.
Experienced Donegal-winning co-driver Paul Kiely sits alongside Derek McGarrity, who is listed to drive a Subaru WRC. Former triple national champion Niall Maguire makes a rare foray into the Tarmac series while the Subaru WRC pair of Donegal’s Donagh Kelly and Omagh’s Seamus Leonard and Aaron MacHale (Ford Focus WRC) are also entered.
Daniel McKenna (Ford Escort) is the top seed in the Modified category where David Bogie (Metro 6R4), Declan Boyle, Manus Kelly, Wesley Patterson, Brian Brogan, Simon Mauger and Rodney Wilton, all in Escorts, provide opposition.
The eight stages today feature a loop of three stages repeated twice and two runs over the Buncranna stage.
Elsewhere, following last evening’s opening stage, the Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia resumes today. Waterford’s Craig Breen, after two outings with the French outfit Team Sainteloc Racing, will drive a Peugeot 207 S2000 prepared by Italian team, HRT Motorsport.
“As part of my agreement with Sainteloc Racing we still have the Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium and Sibiu Rally Romania to come, but this is a nice bonus,” he said.
Breen impressed on the Tour de Corse and is aiming for a strong haul of IRC points.
Cork racer Matt Griffin competes in the Le Mans 24-hour that begins tomorrow afternoon. The Douglas driver joins Italian pair Pierguiseppe Perazzini and Niki Cadei in an AF Corse-prepared Ferrari 458 Italia.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
