Manus Kelly knows that history beckons – but the Glenswilly man says he has to keep his mind on the job at hand today.
After 14 stages of the 2018 Joule Donegal International Rally, Kelly and Donall Barrett hold a 1 minute and 21.2 second lead over Josh Moffett.
Donagh Kelly crashed out on Friday, while Saturday claimed Darren Gass, Declan Boyle and, finally, Garry Jennings.
Before Jennings went off on Gartan, he had been pushing Kelly to the pin of his collar, but Kelly’s WRC Impreza is now the last WRC car standing.
“We’re in a great place so let’s hope we can keep this baby straight,” Kelly, who is aiming for a three-in-a-row, said.
“We want to enjoy it and mind the car at the same time.”
Kelly was shook when he learned of Jennings’ mishap yesterday evening.
He said: “It was a bit of a shock and takes a bit of time to get used to it. No-one likes to see any competitor going out.”
For the previous three years, Kelly has corked champagne at the Mount Errigal Hotel.
In 2015, he won the National Rally in a Mk2 Escort before he took glory in the Melvyn Evans-hired Impreza in dramatic fashion in the last two years.
Even though he has a big lead, Kelly is taking nothing for granted.
he said: “We have a lot of work to do and focus to keep. It’s a different focus, but please God we’ll come out the other side.
“The car doesn’t want to switch off. She’s built to go hard. Me and Donall are built to go hard. Hopefully the experience can see us through.
“We aren’t thinking about history or anything like that. We are focussed on getting to the end of High Glen. We don’t underestimate this rally.”
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