Jennings puts the boot down in Donegal

Up until yesterday the S14 Subaru WRC didn’t perform well on Irish tarmac roads, but that has changed with Fermanagh’s Garry Jennings guiding the car into the lead after yesterday’s opening leg of the Topaz Donegal International Rally.

With several fastest stage times, he ended the day 15.9 seconds ahead of the Subaru S12B of Midleton’s Darragh O’Riordan. Omagh’s Seamus Leonard, in his S9 Subaru WRC is 6.8 seconds further behind in third.

Jennings punched in the best times on the opening two stages with O’Riordan quickest on S.S. 3 near Buncrana. At the service halt, Jennings was five seconds to the good with O’Riordan next and Irish Tarmac series leader, Darren Gass a further 12.1 seconds behind in third.

However, Gass reckoned his Subaru was down on power and was hoping to have the matter rectified by an engineer.

Unfortunately, he had to traverse the second loop of stages without sorting the issue. The Armagh ace, who was due to run first on the road, was well out of sequence on the fourth stage and he incurred a time penalty of 11 minutes and 45seconds.

Jennings was quickest on S.S. 4 but stalled on two occasions on both stages five and six.

O’Riordan had a moment on S.S. 4 but responded by posting the best time on Stage 6.

Seamus Leonard lost out on the fast sections but still ended the day in third. Stalling his Subaru WRC on the start line of the first stage seemed to unsettle Derek McGarrity, but he recovered to end the day in fourth.

Gass, quickest on Stage 5, is hoping to have the time penalty removed, if successful, he will move up to third — just 20.9 seconds off the lead. Today’s second leg features eight stages.

Meanwhile, Craig Breen, lies sixth overall on Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia, the fifth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The event is being led by Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda).