Four-time British Rally champion Keith Cronin put the hammer down for a fifth title bid last weekend, taking his Volkswagen Polo GTi to a sensational Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally victory in the Scottish Borders.
Cronin and co-driver Mikie Galvin were a forced to be reckoned with all weekend long, opening up an unassailable forty second lead in their Pirelli-shod Polo over James Williams, from Newcastle Emlyn, after the second stage on Friday night and the Irish pairing maintained that advantage over the second leg to take the win.
Williams grappled with his Michelin backed Hyundai i20 to a maiden BRC podium in second, whilst local hero Garry Pearson rounded out the podium, another to claim his first podium in his Hankook supported Fiesta Rally2 in third.
Welshman Osian Pryce in his Volkswagen Polo was an early challenger to Cronin and was a staggering 23 seconds up in first place on the first stage, but he sustained a puncture on the second stage and was excluded for not changing his tyre under the event rules although the puncture happened in the dark.
He is likely to be one of the favourites to win on his home event in July, the Nicky Grist Stages in Builth Wells but Williams is also a strong challenger there as well.
