Crash no help to Cronin’s cause
THE British Rally Championship title could be decided at this weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire and the question for Ireland’s Keith Cronin is, can he keep his title aspirations alive?
A four-time champion, the Ballylicky driver returned to the series this year in a Polo GTi in a bid to equal the legendary Jimmy McRae’s tally of five BRC titles.
Before the last round, the Rali Ceredigion, the Corkman (36) led the series.
However, Cronin crashed out in Wales and knows that Osian Pryce, in the Melvyn Evans Motorsport-run Volkswagen Polo GTi, could become champion with a round to spare with a win this weekend.
Won
The Welshman has won three of the seven rounds so far and after Cronin’s retirement at the Rali Ceredigion, Pryce and his Killarney co-driver Noel O’Sullivan top the standings by seven points with two rounds remaining.
If they take spoils this weekend, too, Pryce and O’Sullivan can secure the title at Trackrod Rally Yorkshire.
But only a win will do for Pryce and his Irish co-driver. Any other result means the fight will go down to the final round in Wales next month.
While Pryce has netted two asphalt and one gravel victories this year, he will need to be on form if he is to lift the coveted trophy in Yorkshire.
Cronin had taken the lead on the third stage of Rali Ceredigion, but his involvement was ended abruptly early on the following stage when his Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 was pitched into a roll.
Volkswagen Polo GTi R5
He said: “We were on a steady pace, certainly not taking any risks. There was a bale in front of a gate pillar on the left-hand side, just after a slight right on a low crest.
“The grip went a bit light at the top and the car went out a bit wide, the bale was protruding onto the road slightly, I just clipped it, and that was that.”
While Cronin and co-driver
Mikie Galvin were uninjured from the impact, their Polo sustained heavy damage.
“It definitely hasn’t helped our cause. It means we really have to win this weekend to stay in with a chance of taking the title on the last rally,” Cronin acknowledged.
“The crew at Tom Gahan Motorsport have done a great job to get the car sorted in a couple of weeks. We’re all set for Yorkshire. It’s an event we’ve gone well in before.
“It used to be the final round and we’ve won the championship there twice in the past.”
Trackrod Rally Yorkshire gets underway tomorrow evening, with the ceremonial start in the seaside town of Filey.
There is just one stage on the opening day — a run in the dark through the famous Dalby Forest, which was often a feature of the World Championship RAC Rally in a previous era.
Five further stages follow on Saturday — Cropton, Gale Rigg, Staindale and Langdale, with Dalby rounding out proceedings shortly after 2pm.
Meanwhile, the Garda Síochána Motor Club Germaine’s of Baltinglass Mini Stages Rally is staged on Sunday and will be the fourth round of the 2022 Hugo Loonam Motors Midlands East Rally Championship.