Ireland’s rising rally star Cronin on the road to glory
However, the eldest in a family of 10, Keith, 23, already knows what he wants from life – to become a professional rally driver.
It’s a path that’s littered with obstacles, yet, by tomorrow evening, the West Cork driver could be a little closer to his objective. So far, the only pressure he has to cope with is that which fills the tyres between him and the surfaces of the rally stages he traverses at high speed.
Even now, the quiet, bespectacled youngster seems perfectly suited to the world of economics with a degree in accountancy and currently works in the family business, has already come some distance along the road.
He is joint leader of the British Rally Championship with Manx- born, Welsh domiciled, Mark Higgins. It is quite an achievement given that Billy Coleman remains the only Irish driver ever to have won the series. It would be fitting if Cronin, a winner of the Billy Coleman Award in 2006, was to emulate one of his rallying heroes.
Talent will always be noticed whatever the sport, but in rallying, money is a key component and pivotal to achieving success.
Cronin has set his sights on the WRC, the pinnacle, but a category where money and fuel are consumed in copious amounts.
Acknowledging the financial support from Cremin Coaches through family friend, Mick Cremin, Keith and his team have shown great initiative by forming a Supporters Club that has helped finance his BRC programme.
Today and tomorrow, Cronin has the chance to fast track his dream when he will represent Ireland in the first leg of the Pirelli Shoot-out in Finland. “It is a big honour to represent your country in any sport, it’s not everyone that gets the opportunity.,” he says.
Ten contestants from Northern Europe will battle it out at Jyvaskyla where a panel of judges will select five drivers to contest the European Shoot-out at Freistadt in Austria in September. There, they will compete with drivers from other FIA regions for the 2010 Pirelli Star Drives. Two drivers will be selected to contest six World Championship events in 2010 in Group N cars supplied and serviced under an FIA agreement.
There are many similarities between Cronin and the legendary Billy Coleman insofar as both tend to allow their driving talent do the talking. It’s not everyday that an Irish driver can beat the likes of Mark Higgins and has to be pressed about his achievements.
Cronin said: “I suppose it is part of who I am, I don’t want to appear cocky, but I know I probably should be making more of the situation.”
His recent victory in the Raven’s Rock Rally was another illustration of his pace as he beat a reigning and former national champion, both of whom had all- powerful Subaru WRC’s at their disposal. “I knew that I could mix it with the WRC boys over a few stages but I certainly didn’t think I could beat them by the margin I did.”
Cronin, with two wins and two second places in the four rounds of the BRC, is quick to add that in championship terms he has won nothing – there are two rounds remaining and with the final round having a co-efficient of 1.5, it’s very much to play for.
“Knowing I have the beating of Mark is important. I’ve proved I have pace and people are aware of that.”
The West Cork ace was more than a match for Higgins when they clashed on the latter’s home ground on the Isle of Man. Cronin was only denied by a puncture a few stages from the finish as Higgins secured a record breaking fifth win on the island.
Rallying is in the genes, his father Danny was involved in the sport helping Keith’s uncle, Denis, who rallied with great success over two decades.
Keith took a rather unusual route to learn how to drive, “I think I was about seven or eight and I sat behind the wheel of some machine, but it didn’t work out to well.
“I stretched out the bucket of the machine and I scratched a van that was parked beside it and that was the end for a while. I actually didn’t drive a car until I was 11 but I was behind the wheel of a truck a year or two earlier!”
So, how does he rate his chances in Finland, “I’m confident enough that I have the speed, my fitness is good and I suppose from the results in the BRC, I find it easier at interviews!” He is acutely aware that it was that particular aspect was his achilles heel in the 2008 Pirelli Shoot-out. “I was actually quite nervous, I know I have done better interviews since. I was so nervous that I reckon if I was asked my name, I would have got it wrong.”
Surprisingly, Denis Cronin (his uncle) is one of his rallying heroes along with Billy Coleman, Bertie Fisher and Frank Meagher. Current IRC star, Kris Meeke is another hero while he describes Sebastien Loeb as the “ultimate driver” “I am looking at different options for next season but at the end of the day it will come down to money. Ideally, I would like to be in one of the S2000 cars in either the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge) or the S2000 Cup in the WRC.” Either way, he has one objective – to get the WRC – and who knows, compete against Sebastien Loeb. Maybe, just maybe, that degree in accountancy will prove valuable.
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