BALLYLICKEY’S Robert Cronin secured his maiden victory in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on Saturday afternoon.
Qualifying his Cronin Centra liveried Elite Motorsport Ginetta in P2, he moved into the lead on the run to Turn 1 ahead of E3 Sport polesitter Jack Collins. In wet conditions, it was an important move given that the wipers failed just before the race began and Cronin knew that anywhere else he would have to cope with the spray from the cars ahead.
The opening lap featured two collisions, the second when Cronin's Elite Motorsport team-mate Harry Gamble went around the outside of championship leader Archie Clark, who spun and damaged the suspension that forced his retirement.
After a brief safety car interlude, the race continued and Collins tried to apply the pressure on Cronin, who managed the situation well.
As Collins was concentrating on Cronin, a closing Gamble subsequently gave Collins plenty to think about. Gamble made several attempts to get past but to no avail as Cronin continued to lead.
On the final lap after he survived a slide at Cascades, Gamble made a brave move and got ahead of Collins at The Island to finish second behind Cronin, who took his second podium of the year to move into second in the series, 35 points behind Clark.
Robert Cronin celebrates his victory.
Cronin also lined up in P2 for Monday's (bank-holiday in the UK) second race. Unfortunately, it didn't bring a repeat of Saturday's result. The race began in wet conditions, and on the way to Turn 1 Cronin and Collins touched with Cronin moving on to the grass. In the meantime series leader Archie Clark came from P5 and into the lead from Collins and Cronin. The safety car was deployed within the first two minutes of the 30-minute race and as the rain stopped Cronin decided to make a pit-stop to change to slicks. Collins was another of the few drivers that also pitted.
When the race restarted (with some 28 minutes remaining) Cronin was down in 16th position but quickly moved through the pack, slotting into eighth place. However, the rain returned and he struggled for traction, particularly at Cascades before he slid off into a tyre barrier before re-joining the race down in twelfth spot.
During a safety car period, Cronin pitted for wets before the pit window closed. When racing resumed, Cronin was 13th and a lap down on the rest, he went on to finish 12th as his team-mate Gamble took the chequered flag. In terms of the championship, Cronin drops to fourth, 77 points behind Clark.
Meanwhile, in the Ginetta Junior Championship, Colin Cronin was sixth, tenth and sixth in his respective three races, he is sixth in the series. The next rounds of the championship are at Snetterton on July 12th/13th.
