Keith Cronin leads Galway International Rally

BALLYLICKEY'S Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin (Ford Fiesta Rally2) have made a stunning return to the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and following a strong performance they lead the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally overnight.

Through Saturday's opening leg of eight stages, where they led from the start, they set four fastest stage times and will begin tomorrow’s final leg (six stages) with a 15.8s advantage  over the VW Polo GTi of Derry’s Callum Devine and his Killarney co-driver Noel O’Sullivan.

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes in a Citroen C3 Rally2 are 19.9s further adrift in third.

Onboard his M-Sport built Ford Fiesta Rally2, Cronin/Galvin, who won the series back in 2016, punched in the best time on the opening stage near Headford.

Welsh ace Matt Edwards spun and damaged the steering of his Ford Fiesta Rally2 and retired on the second stage - a huge disappointment for the throngs of spectators that lined the stages.

Throughout the day, tyre choice was a lottery. Cronin made the best choice on the loop of three stages that began with SS3 where he extricated 8.6s from Josh Moffett and took 11.6s from Devine.

Devine, the reigning Tarmac champion, made a brave choice for the day’s final loop to reel in Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and move into second, he was best though the day’s final stage where he cut six seconds from Cronin’s lead - that stood at 21.6s prior to the stage start.

Josh Moffett struggled as his new Citroen bottomed out over the many jumps of the County Galway terrain.

Derry’s Desi Henry and Donegal’s Declan Boyle, also in Citroen cars are next with Sam Moffett, who was second initially, only to haemorrhage time with an incorrect tyre choice, completing the top six.

The West Cork crew of Clonakilty’s Cal McCarthy and his Rosscarbery co-driver Eric Calnan were in the top ten all day until they crashed out on stage six, neither were hurt in the incident as their Citroen C3 Rally2 ran along a wall for a good distance before it came to a halt.

Elsewhere, Kilcrohane’s Jer O’Donovan and his Rosscarbery co-driver Alistair Wyllie (Ford Fiesta R5) are 28th overall and Clonakilty’s Kevin Kelleher and co-driver Michael Coady (Ford Escort) are 36th in general classification.

Six time Galway winner and five times Irish Tarmac champion the legendary Austin MacHale is on his first rally in Galway in many years, struggled with transmission woes in his Ford Focus WRC. He is thirty-third overall and is hoping to sort the issue at service in the morning.

Overnight Top 10:

1.     Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin (Ford Fiesta Rally2) 59m. 59.2s.

2.     Callum Devine/Noel O'Sullivan (VW Polo GTi R5)+15.6s.

3.     Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes (Hyundai i20 Rally2)+35.5s.

4.     Desi Henry/Stuart Loudon (Citroen C3 Rally2)+41.9s.

5.     Declan Boyle/Patrick Walsh ( Citroen C3 Rally2)+1m. 17.0s.

6.     David Kelly/Dean O'Sullivan (VW Polo GTi R5)+1m. 42.7s.

7.     Sam Moffett/James O'Reilly (Hyundai i20 Rally2)+1m. 42.7s.

8.     Gareth MacHale/Ger Conway (VW Polo GTi R5)+2m. 04.6s.

9.     Ryan Loughran/Gareth Doherty (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+2m. 32.0s.

10.  Gary Kiernan/John McCabe (Ford Fiesta R5)+3m. 05.7s.