BALLYLICKEY'S Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin (VW Polo GTi R5) will begin today’s second leg of the Scottish-based Jim Clark Rally, round two of the British Rally Championship, with a 40 seconds lead.
On last evening’s opening stage, the 11.89 mile Longformacus stage, they set the pace in their Pirelli shod car and were eight seconds faster than current championship leaders Osian Pryce/Noel O’Sullivan, also in a VW Polo GTi R5.
On the only other stage of the opening leg, also the Longformacus test, albeit in darkness, Cronin was also quickest; remarkably, 22 seconds faster than his opening run. Pryce/O’Sullivan lost time with a puncture and dropped to sixth, one minute and 19 seconds adrift of Cronin/Galvin. Cronin is a four-time British Rally champion.
James Williams and co-driver Dai Roberts (Hyundai i20 R5) are in second place 40 seconds behind. The Irish crew of Donegal’s Eamonn Kelly and Monaghan’s Conor Mohan (Ford Fiesta Rally4) lead the Junior BRC category.
There are seven more stages today with the final stage scheduled to begin just before 5pm.
Leaderboard after S.S. 2: 1. Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) 19m. 27s; 2. James Williams/Dai Roberts (Hyundai I20 R5) +40s; 3. Garry Pearson/Dale Furniss (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+53s; 4. Elliot Payne/Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+ 56s; 5. Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson (Volkswagen Polo GTi R5)+58s; 6. Osian Pryce/Noel O'Sullivan (Volkswagen Polo GTi R5)+1m. 19s.
