Motors: Cronin and Galvin take lead at Circuit of Ireland Rally

MOTORS: The Citroen C3 Rally2 of rally leaders Ballylickey's Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin off takes off over a crest during the Ivy Hill stage near Aughnacloy during the Dungannon based Circuit of Ireland Rally, the second round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Pic: Martin Walsh.

Ballylickey's Keith Cronin (Citroen C3 Rally2) and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin, take a lead of 9.8 seconds into today's (Saturday) final leg of the Dungannon based Circuit of Ireland Rally, the second round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

They dominated both runs of the Ivy Hill stage near Aughnacloy to lead the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Derry's Callum Devine and his Killarney co-driver Noel O'Sullivan. Last year's event winners Welsh ace Matt Edwards and Mallow native David Moynihan (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) are 6.1s further behind in third.

Cronin was best on the opening run over the 7.22 mile stage where conditions were wet, slippy and muddy in parts. The West Cork driver campaigned the Citroen C3 Rally2 belonging to his younger brother Daniel as his TGM team hadn't time to change Cronin's own car back to tarmac specification following last Saturday's gravel event, the Carlisle Rally. Cronin had a moment when the front of car moved on a section of standing water but took no risks. Second placed Derry's Callum Devine (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) was 9.2s behind and admitted to a bit of rustiness in what was his first outing of the season.

Preston's James Ford (Citroen C3 Rally) was mere tenth of a second behind with top seed Matt Edwards fourth - 11.7s off top spot. "It's my first outing in the car in the wet so the time was ok, there's so much standing water about. We have softened the suspension for the repeat run." 

Meanwhile, Monaghan's Josh Moffett, who opted to use his older Hyundai R5 rather than the Citroen C3 Rally2 listed in the programme, was happy with the performance of the car - he was 13.5s behind Cronin.

Donegal's Declan Boyle had his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 in seventh spot followed by Tyrone's Cathan McCourt (Hyundai i20 N Rally2), who backed off following a huge moment not long after the stage start. Donegal's Kevin Eves (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Kilkenny's Eddie Doherty (Skoda Fabia R5) and Donegal's David Kelly (VW Polo GTi R5) completed the top ten.

Kesh driver Garry Jennings (Ford Fiesta Rally2) lost well over 30s when the intercom failed after just some 500 metres after the start forcing co-driver Rory Kennedy to revert to hand signals for the remainder of the stage.

On the repeat, Cronin set the pace once more and took no risks; Devine slotted into second spot courtesy of a stage time just 0.6s behind Cronin. Edwards, running first on the road, again underlined the treacherous nature of the stage with more mud on the road following the opening run. Fourth placed Moffett clipped a chicane bale as McCourt finished the stage more content than his opening salvo. The only major change to the leader came when Ford's Citroen C3 Rally2 overshot on the final junction and lost almost 30s in comparison to his first run time, he dropped from second to seventh. The event concludes today with a loop of three stages repeated three times.

Circuit of Ireland Rally (Round 2: NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship) Dungannon: 1. K. Cronin/M. Galvin (Citroen C3 Rally2) 13m. 08.0s; 2. C. Devine/N. O'Sullivan (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+9.8s; 3. M. Edwards/D. Moynihan (Hyundai i20 N Rally2)+15.9s; 4. J. Moffett/A. Hayes (Hyundai i20 R5)+21.6s; 5. C. McCourt/B. McNulty (Hyundai i20 N Rally2)+24.0s; 6. E. Doherty/T. Murphy (Skoda Fabia Rally2)+26.4s; 7. J. Ford/N. Shanks (Citroen C3 rally2)+26.9s; 8.D. Boyle/P. Walsh (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+28.1s; 9. D. Kelly/A. Kierans (VW Polo GTi R5)+39.7s; 10. P. Barrett/D. Kelly (Citroen C3 Rally2)+42.1s.