Day 2 - West Cork Rally 2024

Welcome to Day 2 of our LIVE and unrivalled text commentary for round two of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship - Live centre Sponsored by Sprintsurge.com

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SS5 Clogagh 1 - 14.02 km

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Very foggy this morning as crews head into SS5

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CRONIN MOVES INTO WEST CORK LEAD

Local driver, Keith Cronin has taken the lead of the West Cork Rally on this morning's first stage in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2.  He and co-driver, Mikie Galvin, had trailed the Volkswagen Polo GTi of Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan by 6.3 seconds on the overnight leaderboard, but went 9.5 faster over the first Saturday test to move in front by 3.2 seconds.  Much of the stage was shrouded in fog, adding to the difficulty for all the crews.  In contrast to last night's mixed conditions, overnight rain and ongoing drizzle has left the roads wet and greasy throughout for the moment, but conditions are expected to dry somewhat during the course of the afternoon.  

"It was really tricky and slippy," said Cronin at the end of the stage.  "We tried to push but didn't take any big risks".  Devine reported that he had backed off on the fast straights due to the poor visibility.

Matt Edwards and David Moynihan remain third in Fiesta, and have twenty seconds in hand over fellow Fiesta crew, William Creighton and Liam Regan.  Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes set the second fastest time on stage one, and lie fifth overall in a Citroen C3 Rally 2.

Today's route consists of eight stages in all - Cloghagh and Castletown will be run twice in the early part of the day, with Dunworley and Ring following a similar format later.  Stage two is due to get under way in a few minutes time.

(Keith Cronin Rallying)

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Overall top 10 after SS5 (Provisional)

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SS6 Castletown 1 - 16.60 km

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Cronin blitzes the pack, with another fastest time 11.3s faster than Devine.

Cronin extends his lead to 14.5s after two stages this morning

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Top 3 times for SS6

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Overall top 10 after SS6

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CRONIN EXTENDS ADVANTAGE IN WEST CORK

Having taken the lead of the West Cork Rally on this morning's opening stage, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin have consolidated their advantage considerably on the next text, finishing the 16 kilometres of Castletown in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta 11.3 seconds faster than second placed Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan in a Volkswagen Polo GTi.  The difference between crews now stands at 14.5 seconds.‍

The conditions were similar to those encountered on the previous stage, with fog hampering visibility.   "It's really tricky in there again, and they're fast stages as well which adds to it," said Cronin.  "We had a clean run, it was about trusting the pace notes in the fog".  

The rest of the top five remains static, with Matt Edwards and David Moynihan third in Fiesta, followed by William Creighton and Liam Regan, also in a Fiesta, ahead of Josh Moffett and Andy in a Citroen C3 Rally 2.

The crews are now on their way to Service in Clonakilty, following which the Cloghagh and Castletown stages will be repeated, the first of which is due to get under way just after mid-day.

Keith Cronin Rallying

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SS7 Clogagh 2 - 14.02 km

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Crews into the stage

Reports Callum Devine has a puncture in the stage

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Cronin fastest in the stage and extends his lead further, Matt Edwards climbs to second with William Creighton third after Devine's puncture

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CRONIN FASTEST AGAIN IN WEST CORK AS DEVINE PUNCTURES

The lead held by Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin of the West Cork Rally in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2 now stands at 50 seconds after their closest challengers, Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan suffered a puncture on Stage 7, Cloghagh.  Devine opted to drive to the end of the stage rather than stop and change the wheel, but has still lost considerable time and has dropped down the leaderboard.  Matt Edwards and David Moynihan now hold second place, with William Creigton and Liam Regan 25 seconds further back in third.  

Conditions remain difficult for the drivers, alternating as they are between fog and heavy rain.

"We backed off a bit after we passed Callum in the stage," said Cronin, who set the fastest time, .6 of a second quicker than Josh Moffett and three ahead of Edwards.  "There's a long way to go, we're not even half way through the rally yet, anything can happen.  That stage was wetter this time around, the fog was better at the start and then it got worse.".  

Keith Cronin Rallying

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Overall top 10 after SS7

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SS8 Castletown 2 - 16.60 km

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Slight delay to SS8

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Cronin takes another fastest time

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Overall top 10 after SS8

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CRONIN AND GALVIN A MINUTE PLUS AHEAD IN WEST CORK

With half of today's eight stages completed in the West Cork Rally, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin lead by over a minute in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2.  They were fastest again on the second run through the Castletown stage, 5.3 seconds quicker than Matt Edwards and David Moynihan, and have a comfortable buffer at the top of the leaderboard as the crews head to Service in Clonakilty.  William Creighton and Liam Regan complete the top three, but they are coming under pressure from Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes, winners in West Cork for the past two years.  ‍

Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan, who had been the leaders' nearest challengers, lost nearly two minutes on the previous stage with a puncture and dropped to sixth place, but they recovered ground on Castletown and are now just 2.7 seconds off Jonny Greer and Niall Burns in fifth.

"It's a different rally now", said Cronin, reflecting Devine's time loss.  "I just have to try and manage it.  You have to mind the cuts, you don't know what's inside in them, there is a load of water".

Stage 9, Ring, is due to get underway just after 2pm. (Keith Cronin Rallying)

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SS9 Ring 1 - 10.82 km

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William Creighton sets his first ever fastest stage time on the ITRC

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Overall top 10 after SS9

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CRONIN MANAGING WEST CORK LEAD

With nine stages completed in the West Cork Rally, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin continue to lead in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2.  Their advantage at the top of the leaderboard stands at one minute, 6.9 seconds ahead of Matt Edwards and David Moynihan in another Fiesta, while William Creighton and Liam Regan lie third, also in a Fiesta, a further 24.3 seconds off the lead.  

It was Creighton who set fastest time on stage nine, the coastal Ring test, 1.2 seconds quicker than Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan, who are endeavouring to recover some of the time a puncture cost them earlier in the day.

"There was a lot of standing water", reported Cronin. "I'm being very, very cautious, just trying to hold the lead.  I could still get caught out with this lead, I'm just trying to be extra cautious".

Stage 10, Dunworley, is due to get underway in a few minutes time. (Keith Cronin Rallying)

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SS10 Dunworley 1 - 12.70 km

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Cronin continues to impress in very tricky conditions taking the fastest time on SS10.

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Top three fastest times on SS10

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Overall top 10 after SS10

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CRONIN FURTHER EXTENDS WEST CORK RALLY LEAD

With six of today's eight stages completed in the West Cork Rally, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin hold a comfortable lead in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2.  Matt Edwards and David Moynihan hold second place in another Fiesta, while William Creighton and Liam Regan, also in a Fiesta, lie third.  

Road conditions in the Dunworley stage were extremely wet, as they have been for most of the day.  Cronin set fastest time, 9.4 seconds faster than Edwards, to leave the overall margin at one minute, 16.3 seconds.  Creighton is 28 further seconds off the lead.  "The conditions are not the easiest, that's for sure", said Cronin.  "We're just doing our best to stay on the road".

Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan set third fastest time on the stage, and are now just .9 of a second behind Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes in fourth place overall.

The crews are currently on their way to Clonakilty for the final service of the day, before the Ring and Dunworley stages are repeated to round out Saturday's action.

Keith Cronin Rallying

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SS11 Ring 2 - 10.82 km

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Creighton takes his second fastest stage time of the day

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Top three fastest times on SS11

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CRONIN IN COMMAND IN WEST CORK

The penultimate Saturday stage of the West Cork Rally has seen Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2 extend their lead over Matt Edwards and David Moynihan by a further second, to leave the difference at one minute, 17.3 seconds.  William Creighton and Liam Regan set fastest time on the stage, and they lie 23.7 seconds behind Edwards and Moynihan on the overall leaderboard - the top three crews are all Ford Fiesta-equipped.

Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan set second fastest time in their Volkswagen Polo GTi, and have overtaken Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes in the Citroen C3 for fourth place overall.

The final stage of the day, Dunworley, is due to get underway shortly after 5pm.. (Keith Cronin Rallying)

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SS12 Dunworley 2 - 12.70 km

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Reports Devine stopped in the stage

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Devine stopped (Crew OK)

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Cronin fastest on final stage of day two, Holding a comfortable lead heading into Sunday.

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Overall top 10 after SS12

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CRONIN AND GALVIN HOLD OVERNIGHT LEAD IN WEST CORK RALLY

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin hold the overnight lead of the West Cork Rally in the M O'Brien Group of Companies/Lyons of Limerick/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2. They have an advantage of one minute, 18.8 seconds over their closest challengers, Matt Edwards and David Moynihan, who are also in a Fiesta, as are the third placed crew of William Creighton and Liam Regan, who lie a further 31.8 seconds off the lead.

Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan had led after the stages on Friday afternoon and evening, but they were overhauled by Cronin and Galvin on the first of the Saturday stages.  Devine stayed in touch on the next one, but then clipped a rock and punctured a tyre on the day's third test, dropping him down the order.  He inflicted further damage to his Volkswagen Polo on the final stage of the day, and his rally appears to be over.

Cronin and Galvin controlled their lead as the day progressed, and were fastest on six of the eight stages to establish and maintain a comfortable margin to the rest of the field.  Six more tests west of Clonakilty remain to be completed on Sunday, the first of which will get underway just before 11am.

Keith Cronin Rallying

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