Brennan makes Junior ERC return and goes retro

Brennan, who was fifth on his debut in the Hankook-equipped category when the 2024 season began on V-Híd Rally Hungary in April (below) only to crash heavily on round two, Rally Islas Canarias, also failed to go the distance on the Welsh Tarmac round after he went off the road on the final afternoon.  

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy-supported driver, who had been on course for a Junior ERC points finish, said: “Our weekend came to an end quicker than we expected when we got caught out on the second to last stage of the rally. Disappointing but that’s all part of the game. We will reset and go again.”  

Brennan had earlier spoken of his struggles to hit top form following his lengthy absence from Junior ERC action while he waited for a replacement car to be readied following his Rally Islas Canarias accident in May.

“It’s been difficult, I’m finding it hard to get back on the pace with the lads and find the rhythm,” he said during the opening leg in Wales. “The cuts are a lot bigger than I expected in the recce, I was just trying to find my feet.   

“Saturday afternoon was a bit better, but I was still struggling for confidence after the crash we had in Canarias, so I was just trying to build that back up, but it’s not easy.”  

Prior to his early exit from the Aberystwyth-based round, Brennan had spoken about his new car livery, a tribute to the Peugeot Talbot Sport colour scheme of the mid-1980s.  

“It’s a good one,” said Brennan, the winner of the prestigious Billy Coleman Award in 2023. “Myself and one of my sponsors, Slattery’s Garage of Puckrane, came up with it. He’s a Peugeot dealer in Ireland so it fitted the car and it looks good.”