IT’S a unique situation within Irish rallying that with two rounds remaining, Ballylickey brothers Keith (38) and Daniel Cronin (33) are the top drivers in the respective Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and the National Rally Championship.
There are similarities too as they bid for success. Dropped scores now enter the equation in both series and given several permutations it’s probably close to the calculator outcome. However, in Keith’s case, a win and a second place in his final two rallies will guarantee a second Tarmac title in eight years. However, both are aware that there will be many twists and turns and not just on the roads of Newry, Ballinasloe, East Cork and Letterkenny before both championships conclude.
The Tarmac series is based on the best five from seven events with the Ulster Rally (August 17th) and the O’Connell Group Cork ‘20’ International Rally (September 29th) set to complete the series. The top four scoring points are: 22, 17, 13 and 11. The national campaign, which also allows two dropped scores, is based on the best six from eight events with a scoring system of 20, 18, 16, 14, 13 plus an additional one point for setting the best time on the final stage described as the ‘Power Stage’.
The Cronin brothers campaign different cars – Keith is onboard an M-Sport built Ford Fiesta Rally2 while Daniel drives a VW Polo GTi R5, both overseen by TGM (Tom Gahan Motorsport) in County Tipperary.
Within the Tarmac Championship Keith has amassed 73 points followed by Welsh ace Matt Edwards, also in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, on 71.5 points, with the defending champion, Derry’s Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia Rally2), on 63 points.
Meanwhile, Daniel tops the National series leaderboard with 87 points, two points in front of Kilkenny’s Eddie Doherty (Skoda Fabia R5) with reigning champion Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and his brother Sam, a former champion, also on 76 points. Last time out Josh reverted to his Hyundai i20 R5 while Sam steers a Hyundai Rally2.
There’s no doubt that this is certainly Keith’s busiest season to date as he is dovetailing his ITRC campaign with an attempt to win the British Rally Championship for a record-equalling fifth time. Indeed, he competes in the Grampian Rally (August 9th) a week prior to the Ulster Rally.
A terrific start to his ITRC bid saw him take strong victories in the Galway International Rally and the three-day West Cork Rally. He then led the Circuit of Ireland Rally but tyre choice allied to a heavy downpour of rain for one particular stage ultimately cost him his third straight win and he finished second to championship rival Edwards.
At the Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney he was certainly in the driving seat. With five fastest stage times through the opening six stages he had amassed an impressive 33.3-second advantage over Devine with Edwards 9.9 seconds further behind in third. Then on the day’s penultimate stage, the repeat run over Ardgroom, he clipped a rock and punctured and dropped to sixth place, one minute and 46.6 seconds behind leader Devine. He was fastest on all bar one of the remaining seven stages to finish fourth overall.
In the second three-day event of the series, the Donegal International Rally, the Ballylickey ace and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin had moved into a nine-second lead over Edwards after four stages but spun and damaged a wheel on SS5 that forced them to retire.
Back in 2016, Cronin, co-driven by Mikie Galvin, clinched his inaugural ITRC title onboard a Citroen DS3 R5 and became the first driver to win the series in an R5 car. Looking at his current situation, Keith commented, ‘On paper, a win and a second place on the two events will be enough to win the championship, but it’s not as simple as that, but that’s what I need, it’s the cleanest way. I have something of a safety net compared to Matt (Edwards) or Callum (Devine). I don’t have to target a win on the Ulster. In many ways this (championship bid) is very much like it was in 2016 – I had a good start, then a poor mid-season in terms of results and we did what we had to do at the finish.’
Irish National Rally Championship leaders Daniel Cronin (left) and his co-driver Donnchadh Burke.
Meanwhile and although Keith has led the ITRC series from the very start, it’s a different scenario for Daniel and his Dunmanway co-driver Donnchadh Burke, who have moved into the lead of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship courtesy of their third-place finish in the recent Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.
They made a great start in the Mayo Rally, finishing second in the Ballina-based event. They were holding third overall in Monaghan until they retired on SS5, but bounced back with a third placed points finish in the Birr Rally. Daniel’s first national championship victory came in the Carlow Rally where he managed to repel a late challenge from Eddie Doherty before taking a 3.9-second victory to move into second in the series. Sam Moffett retired while Josh had two excursions before finishing outside the points.
A brace of third placed points finishes from the Circuit of Munster and the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, the latter promoting him to top spot ahead of the final rounds, the Galway Summer Rally (September 1st) and the Donegal Harvest Rally (October 12th)
Taking the best five scores into consideration, the scores on the doors are Cronin 87; Doherty 85; Sam Moffett 76 and Josh Moffett 76. It’s more complex when it’s the best four (to allow the addition of the scores from the final two rounds) – Sam Moffett 76, Josh Moffett 76, Doherty 72 and Cronin 71 – and both Moffett brothers cannot afford a non-finish in either of the two remaining rounds where Cronin and Doherty have the luxury of a respective 16 and 13 points at their disposal.
‘It’s all about preparing properly now,’ Daniel said, ‘Looking at the DVD, then doing a good reconnaissance and seeing will the roll of the dice go our way. As well as being in with the chance of winning a rally you have to push on for the last stage as that extra point for the Power Stage could be very important in the end. If any of us have a non-finish, it will have consequences, particularly for the Moffetts.’
Daniel concluded, ‘It will be hot and heavy for sure and there could be a few mistakes by any of us, including myself, so having the spare points (16) could be important. Look, I would have taken this situation at the beginning of the season. All I want to be is to be competitive and I think our pace has come on and in the Circuit of Munster, we weren’t a million miles away from Callum (Devine).’
For all, it’s certainly fine margins for sure.
