Cronin plays it safe and wraps up third British Rally title

Cork driver Keith Cronin duly wrapped up his third British Rally Championship title with a measured drive through the six stage International Rally of Yorkshire, the final round of the series.

The Ballylickey driver and his Fermanagh co-driver, Marshall Clarke, in their Michael O’Brien Plant Hire supported Citroen DS3 RT3 only needed a top eight finish the win the series and that statistic dictated their performance.

Cronin, who won his first title in 2009 and bridged a 35-year gap since Billy Coleman won the title, added a second the following season and is now just one of four driver to have won three or more British titles – Jimmy McRae (five), Roger Clark (four) and Mark Higgins, also three, are the others.