WHILE admitting that winning this year’s Probite British Rally Championship is a long shot, Keith Cronin, currently third in the series, has a chance to embellish his challenge on this weekend’s Rali Bae Ceredigion in Wales where there are two point-scoring opportunities.
‘To be honest, I think it’s (the championship) a long shot, especially with these last two rounds being in Wales. We need luck on our side. Osian (Pryce) won last year and will be the favourite. However, it will be good to get the mileage and the seat time,’ Cronin explained.
While it’s a frank assessment from the Ballylickey driver, nothing is ever predictable in rallying other than its unpredictability.
Cronin, along with his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin, arrive in Aberystwyth trailing the series leader, Down’s William Creighton, by 18 points with former European Rally Champion Chris Ingram a mere point behind the Ulsterman. However, Welsh ace and local hero Osian Pryce is also in the hunt, and he trails Cronin by five points.
Interestingly, Cronin told The Southern Star of a change of car for the event that dovetails as rounds of the BRC and the European Rally Championship (ERC).
‘We will use the Ford Fiesta Rally2 that Daniel O’Brien (the son of Michael O’Brien, one of Cronin’s staunch backers down through the years) normally drives. We will have the same settings that are on our own car,’ he explained.
Cronin half hinted that he may have another tilt at the BRC next season. He also said that he will use the first leg – two stages on Friday and eight on Saturday – as his ‘Joker’ round where there are five additional championship points available for a win and 4-3-2-1 points accordingly.
‘The outcome will either give us a shot of the title at the final round (with points and a half or offer) or else rule us out of the running entirely. We will know a lot more by Sunday evening,’ he said.
The final leg on Sunday (four stages) will be treated as another points scoring event.
‘With two legs counting for points, it will require a different approach to most other rallies. Even if the leading BRC driver is well ahead on Saturday evening, whoever it is, will have to push again on Sunday as we all reset to zero for another set of points,’ Cronin added.
Given the ERC stature of the event, a qualifying stage procedure on Friday morning will determine the starting order on Friday evening. Along with the BRC contingent, Cronin will also face some well-known adversaries such as his ITRC rivals like Callum Devine/Noel O'Sullivan (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Matt Edwards/David Moynihan (Ford Fiesta Rally2). Others too, like top seed Hayden Paddon (Hyundai i20 Rally20), who Cronin competed against several years ago. ‘The ERC section doesn’t enter my head, this is really about getting as many BRC points as possible and see how it goes,’ Cronin said.
Essentially it’s results against Creighton (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Ingram (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Pryce (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and Welsh ace Meirion Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) is what matters most. It’s worth noting that Pryce, who won the BRC in 2022, will be on local territory for this and the championship finale Cambrian Rally.
