Irish Junior World Rally Championship star Daniel McKenna is looking forward to a new challenge this month after it was announced he will drive a Toyota GT86 in the forthcoming Joule Donegal International Rally.
McKenna, a former winner of the national section of the event, has tested the car ahead of the rally and believes the car has the potential to be competitive. Speaking this week McKenna said; “The Toyota GT86 is a very well balanced car and I’m really pleased by the strides we have made in testing in the last few weeks. Having driven Mark 2 Escorts and having won the national rally in Donegal in the past, I know what it takes to be competitive and I believe the GT86 could surprise plenty of people. David Greer Motorsport and Brendan Kelly have created a brilliant car, which is still being developed and it’s great to be part of such an exciting project. I’m very grateful for Brendan for asking me to come on board for this event. Donegal is a special rally, this is a special car and hopefully, I can produce a special performance.”
Brendan Kelly of Kelly’s Toyota Letterkenny is also looking forward to the weekend and is delighted to have a driver of Daniel’s calibre involved in the project. “Daniel has good pedigree in Donegal and has proved to be quick in every car he has driven to date, so naturally he was on the top of our driver wishlist for the Toyota GT86” said Kelly. “Daniel’s feedback on the car in testing has been invaluable to the project and we are more than hopeful the car will raise a few eyebrows on the event. As a Toyota dealer, it will be great to have a car competing on my local event that looks just like a road car in my showroom. I’m not placing any pressure on Daniel to get a result, we all know what he is capable of. Donegal will be a great test for the Toyota GT86.”
The 2015 Joule Donegal International Rally will get underway on Friday June 19th and the GT86 will have to face 20 gruelling stages over the weekend before reaching the finish ramp in Letterkenny on Sunday afternoon. For anyone looking to visit Donegal over the rally weekend to see Daniel in action in the Toyota, all event information can be found at www.donegalrally.ie
