CRONIN AND GALVIN TAKE SECOND PLACE POINTS IN WALES 

CRONIN AND GALVIN TAKE SECOND PLACE POINTS IN WALES 

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin have taken second place British Rally Championship points at the end of the first Leg of Rali Ceredigion, in the M O’Brien Group of Companies/Lyons Motor Group/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2.  They finished the day 11.6 adrift of their BRC rivals, Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani, who take maximum points and lie second overall on the rally leaderboard overnight. Hayden Paddon and John Kennard lead the rally by a minute and eighteen seconds, and will have one hand on the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship title if they can stay the course over tomorrow’s four remaining stages.

Following the day’s proceedings, Ingram has taken the lead of the BRC Drivers standings.  Cronin now occupies second, with William Creighton, who headed the table going into this event, dropping to third following his torrid Saturday, during which he punctured twice and also went off the road.  The deficit in points awarded between Cronin and Ingram is lessened by virtue of Cronin having nominated the Leg as his ‘Joker’ event of the year, as he receives an additional four points for coming home second BRC driver.  Ingram takes home 26 for his work, while Cronin gains 23.

Cronin and Galvin had been third overall going into the day’s final two spectator stages around Aberystwyth, but lost a place on each run, to Mathieu Franceschi/Andy Malfoy and Miko Marczyk/Szymon Gospodarkzyk, and they lie fifth on the overnight leaderboard.  “That doesn’t worry me,” said Cronin, who had highlighted in advance of the weekend that his priority was British Championship points.   He was also mindful of his Friday evening mishap on the opening run over the Aberystwyth test, when he clipped his Fiesta off a tonne bag of gravel forming part of the stage furniture.  “After what happened to me on that stage last night I was probably just being extra careful everywhere.  We’ll see what tomorrow holds,” he said.

Rali Ceredigion resumes in the morning, with two loops of two stages awaiting the crews.  A full complement of British Championship points are again on offer from the times of the Sunday stages, so all of the championship protagonists have no choice but to give it 100% from the off.

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.