DONAGH KELLY IS aiming to become the first driver to win the West Cork Rally for three years in succession.
Kelly and Conor Foley take to the 14 stages in the West Cork Rally, which takes place over Saturday and Sunday, in the WRC Ford Focus.
Kelly, the reigning Irish Tarmac Champion, is said to regard the Ardfield stage as one of his favourite across all rallies.
Kelly triumphed in West Cork in the previous two years and a hat-trick of wins certainly isn’t beyond the cool Frosses man.
That said, the quality of the field, even with Declan Boyle pulling out the Fiesta, is top-notch.
While Kelly is the number 1 seed, Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy – fresh from their win in last week’s Mayo Stages Rally – are listed at number 2 on the board.
This will be the first time for the Jennings-Kennedy partnership to tackle the West Cork tarmac.
Last weekend, the WRC Impreza scorched to a comprehensive win by 1 minute 34.8 seconds from Peadar Hurson.
In Cork, the Escort of Daragh O’Riordan, the Citroen of Keith Cronin and the Fiestas of Alaistair Fisher and Sam Moffett are among the others to watch out for.
Joe McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney retired on the first stage here last year, but report the Skoda to be in good condition as they head south.
Kilmacrennan’s Paddy Robinson navigates for David Guest while Letterkenny man Johnny Baird is on the notes again for Wesley Patterson. The Escort of Patterson and Baird was fifth in 2014 and seventh in 2015 in this event.
Donegal Motor Club Chairman Brian Brogan, with Damien McGettigan riding shotgun, was sixth last year and they’re back looking for another good run this weekend.
John Bonner had been as far up as seventh last year before his luck ran out and he crashed out.
The Dungloe pair of Paddy McHugh and Pauric O’Donnell are taking part here for the first time and the same is the case for Marty Gallagher and Dean O’Sullivan; Brendan McDaid and Mac Kierans; Kyle and Dale McGettigan; and Liam McIntyre, who will all go under starter’s orders tomorrow.
The format of the rally will remain the same for 2016, with eight stages run on the Saturday and six on the Sunday over a very compact route with low road mileage.
The event is the second round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the opening round of the FIA Celtic Trophy (part of the new European Rally Trophy), the opening round of the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship and a round of the Cork Motor Club Championship.
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