BY MARTIN WALSH
BALLYLICKEY'S Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin took their VW Polo GTi R5 to a second-place finish in the Nicky Grist Rally in Builth-Wells in Wales, round three of the British Rally Championship.
Cronin, the record-equalling four-time BRc champion was third on the opening stage but only 1.9 seconds down on rally leader Welsh ace Osian Pryce, also in a VW Polo GTi R5.
Cronin was best through S.S. 2 to move into second – a mere one tenth of a second behind Pryce. Londoner Ruari Bell (Skoda Fabia R5) departed the scene on SS 3 where Cronin appeared to stall his VW polo GTi R5.
At the halfway mark, S.S. 4, Cronin retained second – 12.7 seconds off top spot. There was little between the leading duo through stages four and five as Pryce eked out a few more seconds on the penultimate stage before going on to claim his second win of the series.
Cronin, who won the previous round in Scotland, retains the lead of the series. The next round in the Grampian rally in Scotland on August 13.
See next week’s Southern Star for a full report.
RESULTS: 1. Osian Pryce (VW Polo GTi R5) 45:03.4s; 2. Keith Cronin (VW Polo GTi R5) +14.9s; 3. Jason Tauber Pritchard (VW Polo GTi R5) +24.4s; 4. Tom Llewellin (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +25.1; 5. Garry Pearson (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 30.4s; 6. Niall McCullagh (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+2m. 49.0s.
