Classy Jenna is first female Irish junior champion

WHILE Sam Moffett was making his piece of Irish rally history on the Cork ‘20’ International, Jenna McCann also wrote herself into the record books.

Moffett became the first driver to win all three of Ireland’s major Championships in a single season but IT graduate McCann (right) made a breakthrough with her success in the Irish Tarmac Championship’s junior division.

A last-round victory in Cork saw her become the first woman to take the premier junior title.

From Ballyjamesduff in Co Cavan, McCann is part of an extended rally family which includes her dad James, uncle Paul and brother Stephen, who was also competing in Cork but retired his S2000 Ford Fiesta.

Proud of his sister, he posted on Facebook: “Unreal drive by Jenna, kept her cool through some of the trickiest stages in Ireland and went on to take first junior as well as wrapping up the Championship.”

Right from the start of the year, McCann was in contention for the title in her R2 Fiesta but with Justin Ryan winning at the Ulster Rally, she was under pressure starting the Cork event. Ryan set out his stall on the first stage and went nine seconds ahead but Jenna clawed her way back to the front and when her rival crashed on the second last stage it was game over — she had secured the title. Monaghan man Moffett took the overall Tarmac title to add to his Irish National and Forestry Championships with Alastair Fisher finishing runner-up for the second year in a row. Joe McGonigle took third.

However, two other titles came north of the border when William Mavitty clinched the Group N production category in his Mitsubishi Lancer while James Wilson, in a Peugeot 208, won the two-wheel-drive section after British junior champion William Creighton retired.

Kevin Eves had already secured the Modified Championship but he made it four wins from the six rounds in his Toyota Corolla and although Keith McIvor was the historic winner in Cork, he came up four points short of champion Barry Jones. Girl power: Jenna McCann made history by clinching the Irish Tarmac Championship junior division crown