Garry Jennings has made it clear—he’s not turning up to the Circuit of Ireland Rally just to make up the numbers. With back-to-back wins in M-Sport’s new Ford Fiesta Rally2, Jennings is aiming to make it three out of three as he chases one of Irish rallying’s most coveted trophies.

Jennings, alongside long-time co-driver Rory Kennedy, is enjoying a strong run of form. After nearly two years without a win, the Kesh driver ended that drought in style by taking victory at the Tour of the Sperrins Rally earlier this month, finishing almost 17 seconds clear of the competition.

He quickly followed that up with an impressive win at the Manx Rally, becoming the first Northern Irish driver to triumph there since Kenny McKinstry in 2007. After moving into the overall lead by Stage 4, Jennings never looked back, relishing the chance to lift a trophy engraved with legends like Elfyn Evans and Colin McRae.

But for Jennings, a win at the Circuit of Ireland would top the lot.

“It’s such a prestigious event, and with it returning to a two-day format as part of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, it would mean a lot,” he said.

Competition will be fierce. Defending champion Keith Cronin (Citroen C3), 2024 event winner Matt Edwards (Hyundai i20 N), and the returning Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS) are all set to line up.

Still, Jennings is optimistic:

“I’d love to repeat what we did at the Manx Rally. My brother-in-law, David Moynihan, who’s co-driving for Matt again this year, has won the Circuit before—it’d be great if one of the family could take it again.

“I’m not going there to fill the grid, and neither is Rory. The big question everyone’s asking is: can we make it three from three? Honestly, if you’d offered me even one win at the start of the month, I’d have taken it—I wasn’t even planning to do a rally then!”

“There’s a top-class field, no doubt, but if I can get the best out of the new car, who knows what might happen?”

The 2025 Circuit of Ireland Rally, based around Dungannon, features 11 special stages and 94 competitive miles. The rally kicks off on Good Friday at 3:30pm, with the first pass of ‘Ivy Hill’ three hours later. Saturday’s action begins at 9am, wrapping up with finish ramp celebrations at 5pm.