Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy have a commanding lead of almost a minute after day one of the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally.
The Impreza WRC of Jennings and Kenney is 57.8 seconds in front of Alastair Fisher and Gordon Noble, in a Fiesta, after the opening nine stages.
Kesh driver Jennings, with Letterkenny man Kennedy calling the notes, led the way throughout the day.
From the early stages, described as both ‘treacherous’ and ‘slippy’ to the later stages, troubled by a low-laying sun that made it difficult for competitors, the Jennings-Kennedy combination have been in front.
And heading into tomorrow’s stages, the duo are well in control.
Declan and Brian Boyle will have been disappointed to begin 2017 with yet more angst in the Fiesta WRC.
They were only 0.2 seconds behind Jennings on the opening stage, but their day was blighted.
Down on power across the opening loops, the Lettermacaward cousins punctured on stage 5 and had to retire on the advice of their team during SS7, with the Fiesta on three cylinders.
Roy White and James O’Brien are third after day one, 8.7 seconds behind Fisher.
Joseph McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney are in seventh after the first day of action with the Falcarragh-Muff duo on the march through the day having stalled on SS1.
Damien Tourish and Domhnall McAlaney are 24.6 seconds ahead in the national rally. Cloghan man Tourish leads the way from Gary Kiernan while Pettigo’s Kevin Eves has held onto third place, in spite of suspension issues.
Dungloe’s Patrick McHugh and Pauric O’Donnell are fourth and lead class 14, with Michael Boyle and Dermot McCafferty third in Class 11F, Corey Eves is second in class 11R and Patrick Bonner leads the way in class 12.
Among those back out tomorrow under Super Rally rules will be Marty Gallagher and Leon Jordan.
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