CRONIN GETS HYUNDAI IN BID TOM AT CHM C RA E

Irish man is out for a fifth brc title

Keith Cronin is targeting a record-equalling fifth British Rally Championship title in a fifth different car, after switching to a Hyundai i20 for 2018.

Cronin has four BRC titles; back-to-back in 2009 and 2010 in a Mitsubishi and Subaru respectively, 2012 in a Citroen DS 3 R3, with his fourth coming last year aboard an M-sport-run Ford Fiesta R5.

Now Cronin switches to the latest version of Hyundai’s R5 challenger, and will drive Eugene Donnelly’s car in the Pirelli before Cronin’s new car arrives for the next round.

“I’m looking forward to the new challenge and the 2018 season,” said Cronin. “We haven’t driven the Hyundai yet but we plan to get plenty of seat time in before the Pirelli. We are of course looking for another title and to equal Jimmy [Mcrae].

“To mount a challenge we are going to need to have a clean run and stay out of trouble. If we didn’t have the problems on the gravel events last year, we would have made it easier for ourselves!”

Cronin starts as car number one for this year’s event. The car led on its BRC debut on the event last year in Tom Cave’s hands before suspension trouble.

His closest contender will likely be David Bogie, who hasn’t won the BRC since 2011. He won last week’s Speyside Stages and brings the Skoda Fabia R5 that he will compete in for a third season.

R.A.C. Rally winner Marty Mccormack and BTRDA Rallynuts Stages winner Matt Edwards should challenge, with Rhys Yates making constant strides in a new Skoda Fabia and rounding out the top five.

The championship starts with 31 cars entered, with 33 registrations received for the year so far.