Cronin braves rain to take overnight Circuit of Ireland lead
Another driving masterclass by Keith Cronin has given the defending Irish Tarmac Rally Champion a 9.8-second overnight lead on the Circuit of Ireland Rally.
Cronin and co-driver Mikie Galvin claimed fastest times on both of Friday’s two stages to give the Citroen C3 Rally2 crew the early advantage heading into Saturday’s nine stages.
Conditions on the Dungannon-based event were extremely challenging after non-stop rain ahead of its mid-afternoon opener. The muddy, waterlogged conditions made Ivy Hill’s mix of fast and technical roads even more demanding.
It looked as though Cronin threw caution to the wind as his Citroen pounded along the rain-soaked stage, perfectly cutting into the mucky verges at every opportunity. Quick reactions saved an aquaplaning moment on one water splash as Cronin’s brave attack was rewarded with a 9.2-second fastest time.
Another fastest time on stage two’s repeat of Ivy Hill gave the West Cork Rally winners a perfect platform to build upon on Saturday. Cronin was quick to state, however, how little his lead counts for as he looked ahead to tomorrow’s itinerary of mucky countryside stages.
Callum Devine returned to action after a six-month layoff as Cronin’s nearest challenger. The Claudy man was much closer to Cronin’s pace on stage two after making some set-up changes to his Curran Gate Skoda Fabia Rally2 in service to keep the gap under 10 seconds.
Opening the road, Matt Edwards and David Moynihan admitted to being overcautious on the Circuit’s opener. After their West Cork off, a mistake-free day was their aim, and that is exactly what they achieved.
The Hyundai i20 Rally2 crew was only 4.2 seconds slower than stage two’s benchmark as they gained more confidence. Edwards benefited from James Ford’s overshoot on stage two’s final junction to slip into the overnight top three.
Ford flew through the Circuit of Ireland’s first stage, going third-fastest in his Citroen despite thinking he was being cautious. The Englishman was forced to reverse after overshooting at the end of stage two, losing over 10 seconds and four places in the process.
Josh Moffett has once again switched back to his Hyundai i20 R5, and it was good to see the partnership return to its power-sliding ways in the slippery Ivy Hill test. The Monaghan driver is 21.6 seconds down on Cronin, fourth overall.
Cathan McCourt completes the top five and happy with his pace aboard his Hyundai i20 Rally2. The County Tyrone driver missed a minus on his pacenote on the rally’s second corner but survived the scare to stay in the mix.
2.4 seconds behind, Eddie Doherty upped his pace on stage two to go fourth fastest and will be eyeing up the places ahead on Saturday’s busy schedule of stages.
Recent Manx Rally and Tour of the Sperrins winners Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy had a taste of rallying reality on stage one when their intercom gave up after an early jump. They lost a chunk of time but started their recovery with a competitive time on stage two to move back up to 12th.
Local driver Barry Morris continues his impressive run of form to lead two-wheel-drive overnight. Morris opted for a neat and tidy approach in his Darrian T90, and it has worked a treat as he leads Damian Toner’s Ford Escort Mk2 by 15.4 seconds.
David Moffett and Martin Connolly had set the modified’s early pace, revelling with the extra grunt of their Toyota Starlet’s new KGP engine. Unfortunately, a spin on Friday’s final stage put them down to third in two-wheel-drive.
Pre-event favourites Frank and Lauren Kelly were out of the running nearly as quickly as they started. Their Ford Escort Mk2 punctured after hitting stones that were pulled out onto the road in the first half of stage one. They lost over four minutes while they stopped to change the wheel.
In a finely poised field of Historic cars, John O’Donnell was at his flamboyant best as he flung his BMW M3 around Ivy Hill’s slippery corners. Despite struggling to get the power down, O’Donnell and co-driver Paddy Robinson set fastest times on both runs to hold a 14.9-second overnight lead ahead of Hugh McQuaid and Declan Casey.
Usual Historic frontrunners Meirion Evans and Anthony O’Sullivan were left frustrated by intercom issues, losing vital seconds in third place. Andy Johnston and Jim McSherry are a further 5.5 seconds back in their Vauxhall Chevette.
Photos by Fergus McAnallen / Rally Retro
