KEITH Cronin insists the current British Rally Championship picture is “not as bad as it looks” but admits the tide must start to turn at this weekend’s Jim Clark Rally in Scotland.
Cronin has so far struggled to find his stride in a competition he has won four times previously, and after the opening two events finds himself eighth in the standings, 32 points off the summit.
At round one – the North West Stages in Lancashire – mechanical issues and a puncture pegged him back in his pursuit of a podium, and at April’s Severn Valley Stages in Wales, a spin was followed by a puncture that robbed him of seven minutes and, in the process, another shot at silverware.
The Jim Clark Rally represents an opportunity for the Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver to strike back at his title rivals having triumphed on the closed road meeting two times previously – 2012 and 2022.
“We could do with a clean run this weekend,” said Cronin, who is seeded at number two alongside Mikie Galvin behind the Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 of round one winners Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani.
“The points situation doesn’t appear great but it is not as bad as it looks. Two rounds have gone already and there are four more to go, but the best five results of the year count towards the total.
“Each leg of Rali Ceredigion at the end of the summer represents a separate scoring opportunity, and the very last round – the Cambrian Rally – is worth points-and-a-half, so there are five scoring opportunities left and the last two events of the year are effectively worth three-and-a-half rallies.
“Hopefully, we will be in the shake-up at the end of the year, but whoever the contenders will be, I expect that the Championship will not be decided until the final stage of the final rally.”
Getting underway on Friday afternoon, the opening leg comprises two loops of three stages with the repeat of ‘Langton Mill’, ‘Abbey St Bathans’ and ‘Blackadder’ all being played out in the dark. Saturday, meanwhile, comprises two loops of four stages, including ‘Edrom’, ‘Ayton’ and ‘Fogo’.
Fellow Irishman and number five seed William Creighton will make his debut at the Duns-based event with Liam Regan and hopes recent Tarmac outings at home and abroad can pay dividends.
“I have heard a lot about the Jim Clark Rally – it has a lot of history, especially in the British Rally Championship,” explained the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy-backed Ford Fiesta Rally2 pilot.
“It is a really popular event and looking at the stages it provides a real challenge. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of competing in a top car on some fantastic roads.”