Killarney and District Motor Club driver, Keith Cronin, has finished second in the Rally Tendring & Clacton in Essex, the opening round of the 2022 British Rally Championship, in his Hankook Tire Volkswagen Polo R5. Guided by co-driver, Mikie Galvin, Cronin led for much of the event, having been fastest on two short spectator stages on Saturday evening and all four tests of Sunday’s opening loop, but the four-time champion was overhauled by last year’s BRC runner-up, Osian Pryce, also driving a Polo, on the twelfth of the rally’s fourteen stages. The Welshman, who also had a Killarney co-driver, Noel O’Sullivan, on board, went on to win by just 5.4 seconds.
Speaking at the finish of the final stage, Cronin was satisfied with the outcome despite losing out on the victory: “It’s a very good result, it’s a big step up, we were a bit off the pace last year, but we’re were closer today, especially in the early part. On the second and third runs Osian and Noel seemed to get a bit ahead of us, but it’s a good start. It’s a big championship, there’s seven rounds, and other competitors will come in, they’ll all play a part. Osian had a very good drive today and he got the win, and there are other guys coming up, it’s going to be a big battle this year.”
Cronin and Galvin are supported by Hankook Tire, M O’Brien Group of Companies, Cremin Coaches, Keohane Seafoods, Inver Energy, Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware and Cronin’s Centra (Ballylickey, Leap and Union Hall).
The British Rally Championship resumes with the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland on May 27th and 28th.
2022 Corbeau Seat Rally Tendring & Clacton – Provisional Results
1. Osian Pryce/Noel O’Sullivan, Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, 42 mins., 38.4 secs.
2. Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin, Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, 42:43.8
3. James Williams/Dai Roberts, Hyundai i20 R5, 42.59.6
4. Elliot Payne/Tom Woodburn, Ford Fiesta Rally 2, 44.31.3
5. Thomas Preston/Carl Williamson, Ford Fiesta R5, 44.59.3
Photos by Mike Hoyer/Jakob Ebrey Motorsport Photography
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