Keith Cronin’s focus now on Circuit of Ireland after his BRC frustration in UK

BY MARTIN WALSH

KEITH Cronin’s bid to win a record-equalling fifth British Rally Championship title got off to a disappointing start on Saturday at the Legend Fires North West Rally in Garstang near Preston, the opening round of this season’s six-round series.

Ironically, his comments after he clinched a superb victory in the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally proved somewhat prophetic.

Then speaking on the demise of reigning Irish tarmac champion Callum Devine, who retired on Saturday’s final stage in Dunworley, Cronin remarked: ‘That's rallying, it will probably happen to us some other day.’

While Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin actually finished the BRC opener, they had to be content with seventh overall after their Ford Fiesta Rally2 endured several issues during the event. Indeed, the organisers also struggled and had to cancel two stages to bring the rally back on schedule.

Yet, it all began reasonably well. On the opening stage they were second, 5.9 seconds behind eventual rally winner, local driver and pre-event favourite Chris Ingram (VW Polo GTi R5), a former European Rally champion. Former British Rally champion Osian Pryce (Ford Fiesta Rally2) was 5.8 seconds further behind in third followed by Welsh ace Meirion Evans, who debuted a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, and Down’s William Creighton (Ford Fiesta Rally2), who was eight seconds behind Cronin.

Ingram, who won this event two years ago, extended his lead over Cronin to 17.4 seconds on SS2 where the Ballylickey ace lost time with a puncture but managed to retain second spot. However, on SS3 a broken driveshaft saw him drop to sixth place. Delays and difficulties forced the organisers to cancel the final two stages of the loop. At the midday service Ingram was 17.8 seconds ahead of Pryce with Creighton another 11.4 seconds behind. While sixth placed Cronin was 56.8 seconds off top spot, third place (27.6 seconds away) remained a possibility over the remaining five stages.

Gambling on a slick tyre, Cronin set off on his quest. Pryce cut Ingram’s lead to 3.6 seconds after SS6 but that battle royal ended on the next stage when Pryce retired with mechanical issues. Cronin’s bid to make up lost ground floundered on SS6 with a trio of issues – launch control failure, a spin and handbrake troubles. To add to his misfortunes, it rained, negating his tyre choice and making his Fiesta difficult to handle. Ingram managed his lead to perfection as Creighton and Evans completed the top three.

‘It was just one of those rallies,’ said Cronin, who added, ‘We made a wrong tyre choice in the morning, we were more brave (tyre choice) for the afternoon, but that was wrong too as it rained, so it wasn’t enjoyable on slicks. We were missing the handbrake too, so we had to reverse at some of the hairpins.’

Results: 1. C. Ingram/A. Kihurani (VW Polo GTi R5) 44m. 02.4s; 2. W. Creighton/L. Regan (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +27.0s; 3. M. Evans/J. Jackson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +48.1s; 4. J. Williams/R. Whittock (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +1m. 08.1s; 5. N. Roskell/D. Roberts (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +1m. 57.6s; 6. M. Kelly/W. Atkins (Skoda Fabia R5)+2m. 00.8s; 7. K. Cronin/M. Galvin (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +2m. 04.0s.

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It’s a six-day turn around for Keith Cronin as he competes in Saturday’s Circuit of Ireland, the third round of the Samdec Securities Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. With victories in the opening two rounds – Galway and the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally – he has opened up a 16-point lead over Monaghan’s Josh Moffett. The eight-stage Dungannon-based encounter should be another tarmac classic as Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mike Galvin face their ITRC rivals along with some interlopers.

Reigning Tarmac champions and last year’s event winners, Derry’s Callum Devine and Killarney’s Noel O’Sullivan (VW Polo GTi R5), are the top seeds with Cronin/Galvin at number two followed by Welsh ace Matt Edwards and his Mallow co-driver David Moynihan (Ford Fiesta Rally2). There’s little between the trio and the sprint nature of the rally should make for an intense battle.