Cork 20 crucial in deciding Tarmac Rally Championship outcome

The outcome of this Sunday's Cork 20 Rally will decide the destiny of the Samdec Security 2024 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title, between Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin, who last took the crown in 2016, and the reigning Tarmac champions Callum Devine and Noel O'Sullivan.

It is Cronin who hold the leads in the points standings going into the final round in their Ford Fiesta Rally 2, lying 15 ahead of Devine and O'Sullivan

Cronin has taken three wins in the Tarmac series this year in the Galway, West Cork, and Ulster rallies.

Cronin also lost a near-certain victory on the Rally of the Lakes to a puncture, where Devine and took the laurels, and took victory on the following round in Donegal, where Cronin crashed out early.

The success of Cronin on the most recent event, the Ulster Rally, has put him in a strong position heading to Cork.

"The way the points stand, Callum has to win or finish second in Cork to take the title, with us finishing at least two places behind them," said Cronin.

"It sounds straightforward, that we just have to shadow them for the day, but we can't afford to be too relaxed, there will be others there as well, and we can't let them get in between to take points away, so it will be something of a balancing act."

While the Cork 20 takes place in Cronin's home county, he does not see that as giving him an advantage, in view of a number of factors.

"The stages are in the Fermoy area, that's an hour and half from me, about the same as Cavan is from Dublin, so from my point of view it's not much different to going rallying anywhere else in the country," he said.

"Callum won the rally last year, and this year's route is the same as the Sunday stages in 2023, so he'll have something of a head start, he'll have his