‘IT’S the nature of the sport – it's not the first time this has happened and it probably won't be the last,’ declared Keith Cronin after he missed out on victory in the Circuit of Ireland Rally.
There was huge disappointment for Cronin when his Citroen C3 Rally2 suffered brake problems and two punctures on the penultimate stage of the event in Dungannon where he and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin eventually finished eighth overall having led the rally up to that point.
It illustrated the very fickle nature of the sport as the Ballylickey driver was in total control of the rally, the second round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
With fastest stage times on the opening six stages, the reigning Irish Tarmac champions led the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Derry's Callum Devine and his Killarney co-driver Noel O'Sullivan by 36.6 seconds until the penultimate stage where the event was turned on its head.
To say it was a dramatic finish is an understatement with two other crews within the top four retiring on the same stage.
Dunmanway's Jason McSweeney (Skoda Fabia R5) and his Blackpool co-driver Liam Brennan in action during the Circuit of Ireland Rally.Amidst all the chaos, Devine/O'Sullivan came through to secure their second victory in three years as they finished one minute and 24.9 seconds in front of the Ford Fiesta Rally2 of Kesh driver Garry Jennings and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy. Donegal's David Kelly (VW Polo GTi R5) and Monaghan's Arthur Kierans took third place, one minute and 1.1 seconds further adrift in third.
Dunmanway's Jason McSweeney and his Blackpool co-driver Liam Brennan retired their Skoda Fabia R5 on SS7. They punctured on SS4, the car stopped for several minutes on SS5 and following another puncture on SS7 they withdrew from the event. Ardfield co-driver Anthony O'Sullivan guided Welsh ace Meirion Evans to a strong victory in the Historic category.
Keith Cronin made a late switch to the Citroen C3 Rally2 belonging to his brother Daniel as his own car wasn't ready in time following his BRC gravel outing on the Carlisle Rally the previous weekend.
It really didn't matter as he punched in the best time on the first stage (the 7.22 mile stage near Aughnacloy) on a very wet Good Friday, and he led Devine by 9.2 seconds. Preston driver James Ford (Citroen C3 Rally), seeded at 15, was just a tenth of a second behind. Last year's Circuit of Ireland winner Matt Edwards (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) occupied fourth (11.7 seconds behind Cronin) from Monaghan's Josh Moffett. On the repeat of the same stage Cronin was quickest again and held a 9.8-second lead over Devine at the overnight halt. Edwards was third as Ford lost time when he overshot at the final junction of the stage.
Saturday's action was over a loop of three stages repeated three times. The weather conditions didn't change and neither did Cronin's domination. Stage by stage the Ballylickey driver, running first on the road, increased his lead that stood at 25 seconds after SS5, courtesy of three fastest stage times.
Ardfield co-driver Anthony O'Sullivan guided Welsh ace Meirion Evans to victory in the Historic category.‘It's very tricky and there's a lot of standing water about; I'm not taking any risks,’ Cronin remarked.
The rain eased a little for the repeat loop. Cronin was best again on SS6 to stretch his advantage to 30.6 seconds. Meanwhile, Edwards found 'that something extra' he said he needed with stage wins on SS7 and SS8 to move to within 9.7 seconds of Devine.
At the final service Cronin's advantage was 39.4 seconds. On SS9, Cronin, the first stage of the third and final loop Cronin took a steady pace and finished with a 36.6-second lead over Devine, who was under pressure from Edwards as the Welshman had closed to within 6.4 seconds of the Derry driver.
Then, as Cronin drove away from the stage finish (SS9) the brake pedal of his Citroen went soft.
'We tried to fix it. I had no handbrake or anything,’ he said. About four and half miles into the stage Cronin's Citroen punctured the front right tyre and then two and a half miles later, the rear left tyre deflated. He completed the stage almost four and half minutes behind new rally leader Devine. Dramatically, Cronin slipped to eighth place.
There was further drama when Edwards hit a kerb and his Hyundai broke the rear right linkage that forced his retirement while a double puncture ended Doherty's rally.
At the finish rally winner Devine said, ‘Obviously, it's a shame for Keith, he was going well.' Jennings and Kelly, who was quickest on the final stage, completed the top three.
Cronin, who still leads the series, added: ‘There's not a lot to sum up, we had a comfortable lead and then as we pulled away from the stop car (on SS9) we had no pedal (brakes). It might be a cylinder failure.'
With the Rally of the Lakes next week, Cronin will be determined to bounce back quickly.
Results: 1. C. Devine/N. O'Sullivan (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)1h. 39m. 28.5s; 2. G. Jennings/R. Kennedy (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 24.9s; 3. D. Kelly/A. Kierans (VW Polo GTi R5)+2m. 26.0s; 4. P. Barrett/D. Kelly (Citroen C3 Rally2)+ 2m. 56.9s; 5. M. Boyle/D. Mullen (VW Polo GTi R5)+3m. 22.6s; 6. D. Boyle/P. Walsh (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+3m. 31.4s; 7. R. Loughran/G. Doherty (Ford Fiesta R5)+5m. 12.2s; 8. K. Cronin/M. Galvin (Citroen C3 Rally2)+5m. 34.8s; 9. B. Morris/D. Curran (Darrian T90 GTR)+7m. 53.1s; 10. J. Mulholland/R. Farrell (Ford Fiesta Rally3)+8m. 54.2s.
NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (Provisional positions after Round 2): 1. K. Cronin 31pts; 2. D. Kelly 28pts; 3. C. Devine 22pts; 4. D. Boyle 20pts; 5. J. Moffett 19.5pts; 6. M. Boyle 18pts; 7. E. Doherty 14pts.
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In advance of their Endurance Trial on June 1st next, the Skibbereen and District Car Club are hosting an information evening for anyone interested this Friday evening at the Clonakilty GAA complex in Ahamilla at 8pm.
