2005 Irish Group N tarmac champion Gary Jennings will hope to challenge on Rallye Sunseeker this weekend as he contests the opening round of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge at the wheel of his black Evo 9 with Craig Drew on the pacenotes.
Jennings is no stranger to UK gravel rallying, having driven for the Peugeot works rally team on the British Rally Championship in 2003, but he admits he is a little rusty going into the event.
“I only competed on gravel once in 2006 but even though we netted third place overall, I think mixing it with the Evo Challenge guys will be an eye opener,” he said. “The season didn't get off to the best of starts after I retired in Galway with a simple but terminal electrical fault, but I am confident that was an early season hiccup.
“I have been lucky to have supportive sponsors and Kumho have been instrumental in persuading me to come to the Evo Challenge, so I hope we can post a solid result in Bournemouth to repay the faith all my sponsors have placed in me.”
Drew brings plenty of experience to the co-driver's seat, regularly sitting alongside Damien Cole in four wheel drive WRC machinery and finishing the 2006 Rally GB in an Evo 7. The new partnership will be tested to the full, however, as the pair will not have had any time in the car together before the rally.
