THE REIGNING Irish Tarmach Rally and National Rally champion Donagh Kelly says he’ll take ‘a back seat’ in 2016.
The Frosses man had the year of his dreams in 2015 when he scooped the Championship double, in doing so becoming only the third driver – after Tim McNulty and Declan Boyle – to win both titles in a calendar year.
Kelly’s company, KN Network Group, were unveiled on Monday afternoon as the new title sponsors of Donegal GAA.
“I want to take time to enjoy that partnership and, hopefully, to enjoy in the success of the Donegal teams,” Kelly told Donegal Sport Hub.
The bug doesn’t just leave the adrenaline-fuelled Kelly, though.
Tomorrow he’ll take part in the Clanree Hotel Donegal Mini Stages Rally, but for that event has swapped the trusted WRC Focus for a Mark 1 Escort. Alongside him tomorrow calling the notes will be his son, Eamonn.
“There was a choice between the Mini Stages or the Galway International next weekend so I’m doing the Mini Stages – it’ll be special with Eamonn beside me,” Kelly said.
“I had a lifetime dream fulfilled in 2015 so we’ll take a back seat in 2016 and we won’t do as much.”
Last year, Kelly and Kevin Flanagan scorched through the Championship. Kelly popped champagne at the Galway International last February and the bubbly was corked at the Birr Stages, the Circuit of Munster, the Midlands Stages, Ravens Rock, Sligo Stages, the Ulster Rally and, finally, the Cork 20 Rally.
“That wasn’t something that we envisaged,” Kelly said.
“But to say that it happened by accident would be wrong. We have a hugely dedicated team who are as passionate about winning as I am.
“I wouldn’t say that we ‘deserved’ it, but it certainly didn’t come without work and effort.
“Like any sport, we just said that we’d prepare as best we could for the event and concentrate on that result. Midway through the season, we felt like the double could be achieved.
“The mindset changed in the summer. We knew that we didn’t have to win as many rallies. Tactically, we nursed the last two events.”
The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship was secured at the Ulster Rally, while the National Rally Championship was sealed when he came second in the Sligo Park Hotel Rally in the summer.
The young Kelly was bitten by rallying in 1978 as a spectator for the Donegal Rally, but his career was almost cut short in 2000 when he sustained a broken back and a broken pelvis.
His car left the road near his Frosses home and family members wondered about his future in rallying, but it didn’t take long for the old urges to lead to his return.
He reached the peak of the mountain last year, but there remains one missing medal from his lapel. He came third in the Donegal International and you get the feeling that a win on his home rally might well be the big aim for 2016.
He said: “While we’re not going to do as many, we’ll still do quite a few events – hopefully we’ll tackle Donegal again in June anyway.”
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