22 year old Irish Mitsubishi driver Keith Cronin was the surprise last stage winner of the Bulldog Rally, opening round of the British national championship. Reigning champion Mark Higgins had led from the start, challenged and at one point equalled by Cronin before suffering transmission and suspension troubles in his old Subaru Impreza N11. After driving Super 2000 cars last year, Stuart Jones adapted himself to a Mitsubishi. He suffered a first stage puncture and later rolled the car but finished third overall in front of the Pirelli prize drive winner Adam Gould in his British Pirelli Star Driver Subaru Impreza N14. Gould lost time on the second stage with suspension damage. Best two wheel drive cars was the Renault Clio R3 of Tom Walster. Other class winners include Jason Pritchard in a Citroen C2R2 Max and the Australian Molly Taylor, daughter of champion Australian codriver Coral, in a Suzuki Swift. Foreign competitors who retired included the Finn Matti Rantanen whose Clio had engine problems, the Swede Andreas Sjolander who retired his Mitsubishi with fuel pump trouble and New Zealander Patrick Malley whose Fiesta had a fire on the first stage.

This rally base in North Central Wales attracted a huge entry, largely of drivers of classic cars, in which former British champions David Higgins won his category in a Ford Escort. Another former champion Gwyndaf Evans went off the road in an Escort which had been prepared by world championship codriver Phil Mills. This victory is sure to be a landmark in Cronin's career. Oldest member of a family of ten from Bantry in County Cork. he made his mark by finishing third on last year's Yorkshire Rally and was then selected as Ireland's candidate for the European Pirelli Star Driver Shoot-Out. Next round of BRC is Pirelli International in Cumbria on the 17 – 18 of April

3mmm
photo1: Keith Cronin
photo2: Higgins - Subaru

Bulldog International Rally
1. Keith Cronin / Greg Shinnors     Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX    1h20:59,7
2. Mark Higgins / Bryan Thomas      Subaru Impreza N11          1h21.08,7
3. Stuart Jones / Andy Bull         Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX    1h23:20,3
4. Adam Gould / Sebastian Marshall  Subaru Impreza N14          1h24:09,9
5. David Bogie / Kevin Rae          Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X     1h24:30,6