All Eyes on Newry as Cronin Leads Championship Battle into Penultimate Round
Cronin, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2, currently sits at the top of the standings, but his position is far from secure. He faces stiff competition from Welshman Matt Edwards, also in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, and reigning champion Callum Devine, who is now driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. The three drivers are locked in a fierce battle for the coveted Bertie Fisher Memorial Trophy, with the Cork ’20 Rally set to determine the ultimate winner at the end of September.
With only two rounds remaining, the championship is incredibly tight. Cronin’s best three results include two wins and a second-place finish, identical to Devine’s record, while Edwards is just five points behind with a win and two second places. This makes the Ulster Rally crucial for all three contenders as they aim to maximize their points.
Reflecting on the season so far, Cronin acknowledged the unpredictable nature of rallying. “I’ve been saying all year that we don’t need to win all the rallies to win the championship, and as it turned out, we haven’t won them all,” Cronin said. “To be in with a realistic shot at the title, we need to aim for victory at the Ulster Rally. Anything else makes the task at the final round in Cork all the more difficult.”
The Modern Tyres Ulster International Rally, in comparison to the longer three-day events like West Cork and Donegal, is a one-day sprint, adding extra pressure to perform from the outset. “The pace really needs to be one hundred percent from the start,” Cronin added. “You need a bit of luck too when it is only one day, because any time loss is likely to be more costly than on the longer rallies.”
Meanwhile, Callum Devine has shown remarkable resilience, bouncing back from non-finishes in West Cork and the Circuit of Ireland to claim victories in Killarney and Donegal. Now armed with a Skoda Fabia, Devine is eager to continue his momentum in Newry. “Donegal was a case of trying different things throughout the rally, particularly with the set-up,” Devine said. “There was a bit of learning, now we’ve something to work on so hopefully we can start a bit stronger.”
For Devine, who has achieved a third and second place in his last two visits to the Ulster Rally, there is hope to go one better this year. “It will be a big battle at the front for sure,” he added.
Matt Edwards, a fan of the Ulster Rally terrain, is also optimistic about his chances. Despite losing a potential win in Donegal, Edwards believes the technical nature of the Newry stages plays to his strengths. “I think having a general feel for the geography of the Newry area, even if the stages are not the same, does help,” Edwards said. “We have been quick out of the blocks on the last few rallies now, we should be there or thereabouts.”
The Ulster Rally will feature ten stages, beginning at 8:50 AM, with former champion Josh Moffett (Citroen C3 Rally2), Kilkenny’s Eddie Doherty (Skoda Fabia), and Donegal’s David Kelly (VW Polo GTi R5) rounding out the top six contenders.
As the championship battle intensifies, rally fans are in for a treat as the season approaches its climax. With everything to play for, Newry is set to witness one of the most captivating rounds of the year.
In other motorsport news, the Irish crew of Jon Armstrong and Eoin Treacy, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2, are competing in the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, round six of the European Rally Championship. Seeded ninth, the team aims to build on their season’s best fifth-place finish at Rally Estonia. Armstrong, who dominated the RC3 category last year before crashing out, is hoping to use his experience to achieve another strong result.
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