MSA British Rally Championship Ulster International Rally BRC title fight starts in Ulster
The 51st year of the
MSA British Rally Championship may have started back in the grey cold of
Wales in March, but as far as the
title fight between Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors and Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas is
concerned, it starts on the Toddsleap.com Ulster International Rally in three
weeks time.
That’s not altogether fair on the
other title protagonists though, since it is mathematically possible for anyone
down to eighth place in the points table to snatch victory. However, the smart
money is almost certainly on the pair at the top with two wins and two second
places apiece, jostling for position on 76 points each.
Almost nobody would have guessed
this at the start of the season though; Higgins fans were set to cheer on their
triple BRC champion to a fourth title. But then came Cronin, stunning onlookers
as he tied with Higgins on stage times at the first service halt of the
year.
It has been one of the most
entertaining scraps in the Championship’s recent history since then, gravel wins
for Cronin on the very last stage of rounds one and two, followed by a puncture
and fight back on tarmac, which nearly saw a debut hat-trick. Never really
doubting his ability, Higgins won in the Scottish Borders, but the combined
stage times from the first three events left the pair split by just 0.4 of a
second. Nail biting stuff.
Next was home tar where Higgins
was sure to pull out all the stops. But Cronin astonished the crowds with
awesome pace, even forcing an uncharacteristic Higgins error. Transmission
problems for both crews left everyone on the edge of their seats as the scrap
continued into Saturday afternoon, but another puncture for Cronin put paid to
the battle, leaving Higgins with an historic fifth Manx win and the Championship
all square.
The tussle for third place has
been a thrilling affair too. While the pace of the other new youngsters in the
BRC has not been quite on par with 22 year-old Cronin, the chasing pack has been
getting steadily closer and there have been four different drivers on the
podium’s third step so far this season.
Stuart Jones’ brief BRC appearance
netted him the position in
Wales, but it has been a sustained
effort from Jonny Greer, Euan Thorburn, Dave Weston Jnr, David Bogie, Pirelli
Star Driver winner Adam Gould and Alastair Fisher which has provided most of the
entertainment.
These seven drivers have an
average age of just 21, the youngest, (appropriately) Dave Weston Jnr, not
celebrating his nineteenth birthday until three days after August’s Ulster Rally
ends. This astounding fact belies talent beyond their years, as Bogie, Gould and
Fisher have taken third on rounds two to four
respectively.
Their battles have been as hard
fought as that at the front; Thorburn and Greer also holding third on the tarmac
events before driveshaft problems for the Scot on home territory and a big off
for Irishman Greer on the Manx Lanes. Gould has a couple of DNFs on his score
sheet after a frustrating slip into a ditch on the Pirelli, joining Greer upside
down on the Isle of Man.
In the top ten points mix are two
front wheel drive youths; 23 year old Citroën driver Martin McCormack has popped
some astonishing times and lies an amazing fifth in the BRC points table, while
another youngster Tom Walster has also been inside the top ten on three events
and lies eighth in his awesome Clio. Pleased to be spoiling the low average age
statistics and posting respectable times in his debut BRC season has been Chris
Firth. The 40 year-old has moved up from National championships and although a
costly incident with a Manx wall damaged the car, he continues to learn and
improve.
The Toddsleap.com Ulster
International Rally will provide new challenges for all those drivers in their
first British Rally Championship season, but even those who have been before
will be presented with a tough competition as the event moves away from
Armagh this year. The new Antrim base has
opened up stage combinations that may have been used in the past, but some have
not been seen on the
Ulster for several
years.
Date published : 03 Aug 2009 - 08:28:33
