Keith Cronin: It will be a major undertaking to take on the two series

KEITH Cronin’s rally calendar for the current season has been expanded to include a full attack of the British Rally Championship following the full support of his strong, loyal and committed sponsors. 

With four British titles under his belt (2009, 2010, 2012 and 2017) the Ballylickey ace will begin his drive for five on the North West Stages Rally in Lancashire on March 22nd and 23rd, as he sets out to try and equal the legendary Jimmy McRae, who is the most successful driver in the history of the series with five championship wins. 

The hectic nature of the double championship bid – he is competing in both the Irish and British championships – brings added challenges. 

‘It will be a major undertaking to take on the two series, but this opportunity has arisen and I am very much looking forward to it,’ he said. 

‘The early part of the year is going to be extremely busy, we have three rallies on three consecutive weekends – the North West Stages is the week after West Cork, and the Circuit of Ireland is the following week again. When you factor in the time spent travelling and the days for making notes, it will be fairly full on.  

‘They are quick turnarounds as well for Tom Gahan Motorsport and his team to have the car ready in between, but the fact that they are all tarmac events at the start makes it a small bit easier.’

On Monday it was announced that former European Rally champion Chris Ingram will also return to the series he last contested in 2013 and will announce his team and car in the coming weeks. 

Cronin, who participated in last Sunday’s launch of the West Cork Rally, has already equalled rally great Roger Clark with four BRC crowns and is also amongst a quintet of drivers to have won both the Irish Tarmac Championship and the British Rally Championship namely, Jimmy McRae, Russell Brookes, Billy Coleman and Mark Lovell. Only McRae has won both in the same season – in 1981 at the wheel of an Opel Ascona 400.