BRC leader Keith Cronin expects tough battle in Wales

AS the current leaders of the British Rally Championship, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are seeded at Number 1 for Saturday’s Nicky Grist Rally, based in the Powys market town of Builth Wells.  

Fresh from a win on the Moonraker Rally in Cork last weekend, they will lead the BRC field away in their Volkswagen Polo GTi, to tackle eight stages, totalling 44 competitive miles, over the famous Epynt Ranges, and Halfway and Crychan forest complexes.  

The Welsh event marks the championship’s first loose surface gravel outing of the year, the first couple of rounds having been held on closed public roads in Essex and Scotland.

Having recorded a second place finish on the Rally Tendring & Clacton, and victory on the Jim Clark Rally, Cronin and Galvin hold a ten-point advantage at the head of the BRC leaderboard, but Cronin remains cautious about their prospects on Saturday.  

‘I don’t expect it to be easy at all, the Welsh forests are always an ‘away fixture’ for us, even though we’ve been there many times before,’ said Cronin.  

‘I know Osian (Pryce) will certainly be very strong there, James Williams has come on very much this season, and Elliot Payne won the Kielder Forest Rally a couple of weeks ago, he’s one to watch too.  Hopefully we’ll be in the shake up with them.’

The British Rally Championship campaign of Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin is supported by M O’Brien Group of Companies, Keohane Seafoods, Inver Energy, Cremin Coaches, Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware, Cronin’s Centra and Pirelli Tyres.

2022 British Rally Championship Points – Drivers: Keith Cronin, 43; James Williams, 33; Osian Pryce, 25; Elliot Pryce, 22; Garry Pearson, 18. Co-Drivers: Mikie Galvin, 43; Dai Roberts, 33; Noel O’Sullivan, 25; Dale Furniss, 15; Tom Woodburn 12.