Cronin wins Todd's Leap International
Keith Cronin from Bantry Co Cork co-driven by Marshall Clarke scored an third MSA British Rally Championship victory in succession when the crew won round five of the MSA British Rally Championship, the Todds Leap International Rally NI. Driving a Citroën DS3 the bespectacled Irishman led the event from the first of its 14 stages and never looked likely to relinquish his advantage, which stood at impressive one-minute 32.7-seconds by the time cars crossed the finish line in Antrim.
Just as impressive was the performance of second-placed Elfyn Evans/Phil Pugh in their Ford Fiesta R2. Like the winners, the two Welshmen also held their position throughout the rally and, as well as securing Class 6 for R2 category cars, they also beat the rest of the R3 category field and were one-minute and five-seconds ahead of their nearest rivals. But most importantly, their fifth class win of the season means Evans secures the title for the R2 category with one round remaining.
Behind the R2 Champion, it was the battle for third place between three crews driving Citroën DS3s that became the focus for the second day of the rally. Eventually it was Osian Pryce/Iestyn Williams who claimed the podium place by a slender 0.7 seconds, his performance earning him this event's nomination for the Pirelli Star Driver Award.
The Welshmen initially finished ahead of Tom Cave/Craig Parry, with Jonny Greer/Gordon Noble just 6.7 seconds behind in fifth. However, a subsequent 50-second penalty for leaving a service halt late meant that Cave/Parry were relegated to sixth when the official results were published.
The final round of the MSA British Rally Championship is the International Rally Yorkshire, based at Scarborough on 28/29th September. The 2012 Champion's coronation will then take place at the championship's traditional grand prizegiving and dinner at Manchester's Hallmark Hotel on 17th November.
Todds Leap International Rally Final Results - BRC Round 5
1 R1 Keith CRONIN/Marshall CLARKE IRL/GBR Citroen DS3 R3T
2 R4 Elfyn EVANS/Philip PUGH GBR/GBR 6 1 Ford Fiesta R2
3 R10 Osian PRYCE/Iestyn WILLIAMS GBR/GBR 5 2 Citroen DS3 R3
4 R9 Jonathan GREER/Gordon NOBLE GBR/GBR 5 3 Citroen DS3 R3
5 R7 Tommy DOYLE/Liam MOYNIHAN IRL/IRL 5 4 Citroen DS3 R3
6 R2 Tom CAVE/Craig PARRY GBR/GBR 5 5 Citroen DS3 R3
7 R14 Matthew CATHCART/J MORGAN GBR/GBR 6 2 Ford Fiesta R2
8 R16 Callum BLACK/Paul WAKELY GBR/GBR 5 6 Citroen DS3 R3T
9 R20 David CARNEY/Ray FITZPATRICK IRL/IRL 6 3 Citroen C2R2 Max
10 R19 Kevin O CONNOR/Ger CONWAY IRL/IRL 6 4 Citroen C2R2 Max
23rd August, 2012