CRONIN AND GALVIN LINE-UP FOR FOUR WAY BRITISH TITLE SHOWDOWN
Posted: October 21, 2024 4:14 AM
Recently crowned Irish Tarmac Champions, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin, head to Wales this weekend for the Cambrian Rally, the final round of the British Championship, where they will be one of four crews in with a chance of claiming the 2024 title. It would be a remarkable double if the Killarney and District Motor Club crew could bring home the Irish and British championships in the same year, it is a feat that has only been achieved once previously, when Jimmy McRae took both drivers' titles in 1981, but in reality, the possibility of them pulling it off is slim. They currently lie joint third in the standings in their M O’Brien Group of Companies/Lyons Motor Group/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta, 21 points off the lead.
Going into the finale, it is William Creighton and Liam Regan who head the standings in their Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy backed Fiesta. They are on a total of 96 points, just one ahead of the Toyota GR Yaris crew of Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani, but the picture is altered somewhat when the best five scores from seven rounds rule comes into play. Ingram and Kihurani have had two non-finishes so far, while Creighton and Regan have finished five rounds and must drop a score if they complete the Cambrian, with their current worst result standing at thirteen points. There are a myriad of permutations which could unfold, and the situation is further complicated by the fact that Creighton and Regan have not yet utilised their 'Joker', which awards additional points if the crew finishes between first and fifth places. Additionally, the Cambrian, being the final round, is worth 50% extra points for all crews, therefore everyone's calculators will be working overtime as the rally progresses. Creighton and Regan must finish ahead of Ingram and Kihurani to take the BRC crown, and in some instances, one place ahead will not be enough.
The fourth crew in the mix is Osian Pryce, a former champion, and Rhodri Evans, who are also Fiesta-equipped. They are on the same total as Cronin and Galvin, but are in a stronger position, as they will also be nominating the Cambrian as their Joker round, while Cronin and Galvin have already availed of theirs. The business end of the season has been one of contrasting fortunes for the Ballylickey driver, and his Killarney co-driver. They finished second to Ingram and Kihurani on the first leg of the Rali Ceredigion BRC double-header, but then rolled out on the opening stage of the second leg, where Ingram and Kihurani also crashed. Later, at the end of September, they claimed the 2024 Irish Tarmac Championship honours at the Cork '20' Rally.
"Our chances of taking the British title are remote, to say the least," concedes Cronin. "It would require Will, Chris and Osian to all have really bad days in the office on the Cambrian, and that's not going to happen. We're going there with a view towards 2025 or some other year, so that we'll have a set of pacenotes to work off if we return. While the route will not be exactly the same every time, there is usually some degree of continuity." He also says that a bad start scuppered his BRC ambitions early on. "You could say that we'd be in a very strong position now if we had stayed on the road on the Sunday morning in Ceredigion, that we would have capitalised on Chris non-finishing, and that is true to an extent, but in reality we lost this championship at the beginning of the year. We had spins and punctures on the North West Stages and the Severn Valley, I think we got only ten points from the two of them. In a year as competitive as this has been, with three other strong contenders there to take advantage when you have a poor outcome, you can't have results like that and expect to get away with it. I thought we might be able to turn it around during the season, but it stayed just out of reach."
The Cambrian Rally is based in Llandudno, and will consist of seven forestry stages in north Wales. The Ceremonial Start at Llandudno Promenade will take place from 8am on Saturday, with the crews tackling four stages during the course of the morning. After Service in Ruthin, three of the same stages are repeated in the afternoon, and the Finish Ramp celebrations will take place back in Llandudno shortly before 5.30pm.
Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are supported by M Group of Companies, Lyons Motor Group, Shane Casey Electrical Services, Molson Equipment, Pirelli, EARS Motorsport Ireland, Cronin’s Centra (Ballylickey, Union Hall, Leap, Millstreet and Dundrum), Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware, Westlink Service Station and Daybreak Shop, Cremin Coaches, Keohane Seafoods, M-Sport and Wurth Ireland. Their Ford Fiesta Rally 2 is prepared and run by Tom Gahan Motorsport.
British Rally Championship set for a Cambrian cliffhanger
Posted: October 21, 2024 4:13 AM
After six breathtaking rounds of the Probite British Rally Championship, the race for the coveted title is all set to go down to the wire at the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally [26 October].
The legendary forests in North Wales which have captivated the hearts and souls of rally fans and drivers for decades as part of Wales Rally GB, will play host to what promises to be a scintillating battle for the BRC crown, with four drivers in with a chance of etching their names on the prestigious trophy.
With rallying royalty such as Colin McRae, Richard Burns, Stig Blomqvist, Ari Vatanen and Elfyn Evans scribed in the silver base, the stakes are high for the BRC contingent and the duel out on the stages will be electrifying.
The importance of a top score at the Llandudno-based event cannot be underestimated, as the points are worth one and half times the normal amount, adding further jeopardy to the already unpredictable race for the title.
And it’s not just the coveted BRC crown that’s up for grabs. The Cambrian is also the decider in the ultra-competitive Junior British Rally Championship, the BRC Teams Championship, the National Rally Title and Open Title, meaning many bottles of champagne will be sprayed on Llandudno seafront on Saturday evening.
The title protagonists
Wins at the North West, Grampian and Ceredigion’s opening leg mean 2019 FIA European Champion Chris Ingram has made it stick this season and is firmly in the race for the title. Now it's a fight to the stop boards of the final Cambrian stage for him, co-driver Alex Kihurani and their Michelin-shod Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
But discount William Creighton at your peril. The British and World Junior champion has been consistent all season with second places in the opening three rounds of the season. Punctures hampered his Grampian and Ceredigion effort but thanks to his and co-driver Liam Regan’s steadfast run of form in their Pirelli-backed Ford Fiesta Rally2, they are Ingram’s closest challenger.
The two contenders are in the primary battle for the crown and if Ingram finishes second or third, Creighton must win to take the title, made slightly easier by the fact he will play his bonus points-inducing Joker in Wales.
Meanwhile, four-time BRC champion Keith Cronin, co-driver Mikie Galvin and 2022 title holder Osian Pryce, with co-driver Rhodri Evans, are not out of the running either. Whilst it will take misfortune for Creighton or Ingram for the others to prosper, the North Wales stages are not known for being kind and either of the Fiesta Rally2 aces could well land another title to their name. The odds are not stacked in their favour, but when has a BRC title been a simple affair?
The classes: BRC1
Outside of the Cambrian title chase, a fascinating line-up of contenders will be aiming for glory and take the final event win of the season. As always, the BRC1 category is awash with talent and many drivers could get in the way of the fight, with the likes of Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson [Yaris], Garry Pearson/Daniel Barritt [Fiesta], Max McRae/Cammy Fair [Fiesta] and Neil Roskell [Fiesta] all able to vie for the podium positions.
Jonny Greer/Niall Burns return to the fold in their Citroen C3 Rally2 after a successful outing at the Grampian, as does Dan O’Brien/Michael Brady in a Fiesta Rally2 and JKS Northern Ireland Rally Team member Kyle White in his Hyundai i20.
Adding to the already impressive entry list, 1983 British Rally Champion and 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist makes a sensational appearance at the event, driving a Mini Cooper S in celebration of the 40th anniversary of his world title.
Junior British Rally Championship and BRC4
The Junior BRC champion will also be crowned on Llandudno seafront and its home-grown hero Ioan Lloyd/Sion Williams [Peugeot 208 Rally4] who is chasing down leader Robert Proudlock/Steven Brown [Peugeot 208 Rally4] for the coveted title, but technically any one of six progressive youngsters can still claim the honour.
Ryan MacHugh/Arthur Kierans [Fiesta Rally4], Kyle McBride/Darragh Mullen [Peugeot 208 Rally4], Kalum Graffin/Mark McGeehan [Peugeot 208 Rally4] and Keelan Grogan/Ayrton Sherlock [Peugeot 208 Rally4] are all still mathematically able to win. Also vying for the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup prize drive in the 2025 FIA Junior European Rally Championship, there is much at stake for the rapid Peugeot contenders.
Michael Fitzgibbon/Carrie Ryan [Peugeot 208] also returns in BRC4 to sample the North Wales gravel.
Open Rally Title & National Rally Title
Much like its BRC cousin, the Open Title and National Rally Titles are up for grabs in a thrilling final-round showdown. John Rintoul/Ross Hynd are in the box seat of the Open category in their Fiesta and with many rivals electing to skip the final round, could well seal the honours with a solid score.
Need just to bag a haul of points, it is Welshmen William Mains/Tomos Whittle who has one hand on the National category crown in their Opel Corsa. An ultra-consistent season has meant they have reaped the rewards and just need a trouble-free run to claim the spoils.
Nick Heard/Oliver Mathison make a return to the series in their Ginetta G40 and with the additional points on offer, could well climb into the top five in the standings after the weekend. Michael Jenkins/Jordan Joines join the series for the final round after a successful season on the gravel in their Fiesta R2.
The Cambrian Rally gets underway on Saturday [26 October] morning from the Llandudno promenade before a full day of action, totaling almost 60 competitive miles in store before the ceremonial finish back on the seafront where the BRC will crown its deserving champions.
You can catch up with all the BRC action, broadcast on ITV4, ITV4+1 and ITVX shortly after the event. Check out our social media feeds for exact timings.
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