Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin have finished in third place on the Grampian Rally, the fourth round of the British Rally Championship, in the M O’Brien Group of Companies/Lyons Motor Group/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2, a result that allows them to remain in the hunt for a record-equalling fifth BRC title. The rally was won by Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani, with the Toyota GR Yaris crew becoming the first repeat winners of the season so far. They had nine seconds in hand at the finish over Osian Pryce and Rhodri Evans, in a Fiesta. While Pryce was relieved with his second place following a potentially rally-ending spin into a rut earlier in the day, he was left to rue the resultant time loss which appeared to have cost him the victory.
Cronin too was satisfied with his outcome, after difficulties earlier in the event. "At the start of the rally after the first few stages, I would definitely have taken a podium, because we didn't get off to the best of starts pace wise, but our pace has been improving all weekend which I'm happy with," he said at the finish of the final stage. "There's still a little bit to go, but we closed right on the pace of the fast guys towards the end, which was good. From the championship point of view, the way it's going this year, everyone is taking points off everyone, so every podium is good for the championship."
William Creighton and Liam Regan finished in fourth place in the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy Fiesta, but had the pace to win the rally only to be scuppered by two punctures, and a spin on Saturday. Their issues had dropped them to fifth on the overall leaderboard, but they regained a place when James Williams and Ross Whittock retired on the penultimate stage having damaged the suspension of their Hyundai i20N.
The next round of the British Rally Championship will be Rali Ceredigion in Wales in three weeks time. Before that, the attention of Cronin and Galvin immediately turns to the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, which they currently lead, with the Ulster Rally taking place on Saturday next.
Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are supported by M Group of Companies, Lyons Motor Group, Shane Casey Electrical Services, Molson Equipment, Pirelli, EARS Motorsport Ireland, Cronin’s Centra (Ballylickey, Union Hall, Leap, Millstreet and Dundrum), Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware, Westlink Service Station and Daybreak Shop, Cremin Coaches, Keohane Seafoods, M-Sport and Wurth Ireland. Their Ford Fiesta Rally 2 is prepared and run by Tom Gahan Motorsport.
