Kilkenny rally star Jack Brennan takes sensational class win in final round of Junior British Rally Championship
Rising Kilkenny-based rally star, 19-year-old Jack Brennan raised a few eyebrows on his first overseas gravel rally in Wales last weekend.
Brennan, from Mooncoin, and his Bunclody, County Wexford co-driver John McGrath contested Saturday’s Visit Cambria Cambrian Rally, the final round of the Junior British Rally Championship in what was only their second outing in a newly acquired Peugeot 208 Rally 4.
The event was notable as the British Junior Rally Championship title-deciding finale which was a straight fight between two Irish drivers, Kyle White (County Down) and Kyle McBride (County Donegal).
While the title was decided in favour of White, the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club member set the class pace throughout the five-stage 90-kilometre event.
Although not registered for the Junior British Rally championship Brennan led the Rally 4 class from start to finish and recorded an impressive fifth overall finish.
“We started off in the morning not very optimistic, we just kind of went out to judge our pace after the first stage. We were a bit shocked at the time when we saw it. We just kept the pace up from there,” he said at the finish line in Llandudno on Saturday evening.
The former autocross champion graduated from a Renault Clio Rally 5 to the Peugeot 208 Rally 4 just ahead of his local forestry rally in October.
“It was an absolutely amazing weekend to end the year and only our second day in a Rally 4 car. We are absolutely delighted with the weekend. It could not have gone any better,” he added.
The rally took place on Iconic forest stages that were previously used by Wales Rally GB when the World Rally Championship visited that part of the world.
Roads like Brenig, Elsi and Cloc Main are familiar to fans and drivers alike but for Brennan and his fellow Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy drivers, it was their first time seeing these roads.
“The motor club put on absolutely unbelievable stages,” said Brennan who is a member of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.
“They had a bit of everything in of them, old Rally GB stages, so you can imagine the credentials of them stages.”
Jack Brennan Motorsport is supported by Ashgrove Transport | Ad Test Centre | Tom Gerathy Tyres | J Ryan Haulage | Long’s Autobody | Croke International Transport | Alan O’Riordan Motors | Bok Forklifts | Murphy Cars | Laffan Concrete Pumping
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