Cronin Eye's Victory In Ulster Rally as Title Race Heats Up

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is entering its title run-in phase, with just this Saturday's Ulster Rally and the Cork '20' International remaining to be completed.  Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are endeavouring to regain the Tarmac crown they last held in 2016, and will be targeting a win on the Ulster in the M O’Brien Group of Companies/Lyons Motor Group/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2 to maximise their chances of securing the championship in Cronin's home county of Cork next month.

Cronin holds a slender lead at the head of the ITRC Driver standings, 1.5 points ahead of Matt Edwards, with Callum Devine a further 8.5 back in third.  Josh Moffett in fourth place is 23 points off Cronin's tally.  With 22 points awarded for a win, the destiny of the Tarmac Championship title is still wide open, and the best five from seven scores rule effectively narrows the margins even further.  With five rounds already completed, the protagonists will be dropping their worst results from here on, and maximum points will be the target for all.  Cronin and Devine have two wins each in the series so far, while Edwards has one.  

"Obviously if we won both rallies it would put it beyond all doubt, but there are some other combinations that would work for us as well, depending on where the others finish," said Cronin.  "A win in Ulster would be ideal, we could then see what was required in Cork and work our targets around that," he added.

While the Killarney and District Motor Club crew finished third on the Grampian Forest Rally, a round of the British Championship, last Saturday, the return to sealed surfaces on the Ulster stages around Banbridge and Newry will be welcome for Cronin.  "I've definitely found it easier to adapt to tarmac this year, the couple of gravel rounds of the BRC haven't gone hugely well for us, although we did get on par with the leaders last weekend as the rally went on.  Things have just clicked into place sooner on the tarmac," he said.  Indeed, wins on the Galway International, West Cork Rally and Jim Clark Rally, second on the Circuit of Ireland, and fastest time on ten of the fourteen stages on the Rally of the Lakes, where a puncture ended his chances of victory, amply highlight his pace on closed roads, an off on the Donegal International being the only blot on the copybook during the season.  "Even though it was on a different surface, hopefully the 'seat time' from last weekend will be a help on Saturday too, there is no substitute for it, it's far more valuable in that regard than a day spent testing," Cronin concluded.  

The Ulster route will consist of ten stages in all, the first commencing just before 9am.  There will be three Services in Newry during the course of the day, with the rally winners due at the Finish Ramp at 5.30pm.

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are supported by M Group of Companies, Lyons Motor Group, Shane Casey Electrical Services, Molson Equipment, Pirelli, EARS Motorsport Ireland, Cronin’s Centra (Ballylickey, Union Hall, Leap, Millstreet and Dundrum), Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware, Westlink Service Station and Daybreak Shop, Cremin Coaches, Keohane Seafoods, M-Sport and Wurth Ireland.  Their Ford Fiesta Rally 2 is prepared and run by Tom Gahan Motorsport.

Modern Tyres Ulster Rally 2024

Top Ten Seeds

1: Callum Devine/Noel O’Sullivan, Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2
2: Matt Edwards/David Moynihan, Ford Fiesta Rally 2
3: Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin, Ford Fiesta Rally 2
4: Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes, Citroen C3 Rally 2
5: Eddie Doherty/Tom Murphy, Skoda Fabia Rally 2
6: David Kelly/Dean O’Sullivan, Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
7: John MacCrone/Kirsty Riddick, Ford Fiesta Rally 2
8: James Ford/Neil Shanks, Citroen C3 Rally 2
9: Andrew Purcell/Liam Brennan, Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
10: Cal McCarthy/Eric Calnan, Citroen C3 Rally 2

Modern Tyres Ulster Rally 2024

Timetable

Saturday 17 August (First Car Due)

Start: Modern Tyres, Newry, 08:30

Stage 1: Shinn Bridge 1, 08:54

Stage 2: Banbridge North 1, 09:39

Service In: Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 10:25

Service Out:  Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 10:45

Stage 3: Kilrea Hill 1, 11:00

Stage 4: Tyrone's Ditches 1, 11:18

Stage 5: Babylon Hill 1, 11:42

Service In: Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 12:31

Service Out: Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 13:01

Stage 6: Shinn Bridge 2, 13:25

Regroup In: Banbridge, 14:05

Regroup Out: Banbridge, 14:15

Stage 7: Banbridge North 2, 14:27

Service In: Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 15:13

Service Out: Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 15:33

Stage 8: Kilrea Hill 2, 15:48

Stage 9: Tyrone's Ditches 2, 16:06

Stage 10: Babylon Hill 2, 16:30

Service In: Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 17:19

Service In: Carnbane Business Park, Newry, 17:29

Finish Ramp: Modern Tyres, Newry, 17:30

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