Keith Cronin takes third on Pirelli Rally debut

Although second spot was snatched away on the final stage, Ballylickey’s Keith Cronin was satisfied with third place on his debut in the PCRS Hyundai i20 R5 on the Pirelli Rally, the opening round of the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship in Carlisle.

Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin finished just 1.3 seconds behind the Skoda Fabia R5 of Rhys Yates as Welsh ace Matt Edwards in the M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta R5 took a 20.5 second victory.

On the opening stage Cronin punched in the best time and led Derry’s Marty McCormack (Skoda Fabia R5) and his Mallow co-driver David Moynihan by 6.4 seconds with Yates a fraction of a second further behind. Edwards was fourth, 10.5 seconds off top spot. There was early drama when former British champion David Bogie upended his Skoda Fabia R5; luckily neither him nor his co-driver John Rowan was injured.