KEITH Cronin believes the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship will “benefit extensively” after National Automotive Parts Association was announced as its headline sponsor for the 2025 campaign.
The deal was confirmed by championship co-ordinator Sean Hayde at a media event over the weekend – just hours before Cronin was presented with the Fisher Memorial Trophy for the second time after winning the cross-border series at September’s Cork ‘20′ Rally with co-driver Mikie Galvin.
The ITRC’s popularity has steadily grown in recent times, with existing crews sharing the stages with Wales’s Matt Edwards and Meirion Evans, as well as WRC2 duo Josh McErlean and William Creighton.
Hayde believes that by bringing on a sponsor of NAPA’s size and profile, this upward trajectory will only continue – a view shared by Cronin, who returned to the ITRC in 2024 following a seven-year hiatus.
“It is great to see the Irish Tarmac Championship being backed by a company of such scale as NAPA,” said Cronin.
“It may not be too familiar in Ireland yet, but I believe it has big expansion plans here, and I expect that both the championship and sponsor will benefit extensively from this new arrangement.
“NAPA has a huge presence in the United States and UK; it sponsors drivers in NASCAR and the British Touring Car Championship, so to have them on board for the Irish Tarmac Championship reflects very well on the Tarmac Rally Organisers’ Association and the individual rally organisers. This deal has been worked on for well over 12 months, and those who got it over the line deserve to be commended.”
Once again, the 2025 instalment of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is set to comprise seven point-scoring fixtures, starting with the Galway International Rally and concluding with the Cork ‘20′ Rally.
Meanwhile, Cronin has backed calls for the British Rally Championship to include at least one Northern Ireland-based rally in the future after promoters revealed a 2025 calendar that entirely focuses on Great Britain.
Explaining the thinking behind the decision, Championship manager Reece Tarren told The Irish News costs and logistics were both factors – but insists a return to the North in future is on the cards.
“It would have been nice to see the Ulster Rally included in the British Rally Championship again – or any rally in Ireland for that matter,” said Cronin.
“The championship has had a lot of support from Irish crews north and south, this year and last. A round here would have given that some recognition.
“The Wales-England-Scotland format is obviously working. There was a big increase in registrations this year and the numbers stayed strong throughout the season – they did not tail off towards the end.
“Of course, the event I would really like to see included again is West Cork, but that is probably a bridge too far for the championship at the moment, in terms of the costs involved for UK crews.”