DONAGH KELLY says he would trade all of his previous wins to get the chance to savour a win at the 2016 Joule Donegal International Rally.
The Frosses man heads into next weekend’s event as the reigning Irish Tarmac champion, but one triumph has thus far eluded him – and he’s aiming to change that this year.
In 2015, on his way to winning the Championship, Kelly won the Galway International, the Birr Stages, the Circuit of Munster, the Midlands Stages, Ravens Rock, Sligo Stages, the Ulster Rally and the Cork 20 Rally.
“I’d trade them all for a win in Donegal,” Kelly told Donegal Sport Hub.
[adrotate group=”11″]“My year starts and finishes on the third weekend in June. Everything revolves around this weekend. It’s the one that has eluded me.
“Growing up as a kid, I wanted to go rally. I never expected to compete at this level or have my name on trophies alongside the greats.
“It started to become a reality in the last few years. We have the ability to win it, but you need the stars to align.”
[adrotate group=”46″]Kelly has taken something of a back seat this year, but is three-from-three in events tackled havin won in West Cork, at the Rally of the Lakes and at the Birr Stages.
He said: “Donegal is a different approach. Everyone raises their game and you don’t get time to bed in.
“I haven’t even seen the car since Killarney. I’ve been extremely busy at work and this hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind, but I’ll get tuned now and get the race head on.”
[adrotate group=”70″]Last year, Kelly trailed Garry Jenning by only 4.2 seconds at the end of day one in Donegal.
However, Garygort was to prove his nemesis.
On the first loop, he overshot and on the second run around he clipped a stone and a puncture cost him a minute.
He said: “I knew I wouldn’t get the time back and the battle was over going into the Sunday. The puncture cost me the rally.
[adrotate group=”74″]“Today’s event is a sprint. You just don’t get the opportunity to make time back. If you make a mistake and drop substantial time, you will really struggle to make it back.”
He takes the Focus over the start ramp at the Port Road again on Friday, still dreaming of being the first man back over it next Sunday.
Listen to Donagh’s full interview with Charlie Collins below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/donagh-kelly-ahead-of-2016-donegal-rally
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