PRESS RELEASE                                                                        29 April 2012

Marshall Clarke wins 2012 Pirelli International Rally

SG Elite Sports Elite athlete Marshall Clarke co-driver for double British rally champion Keith Cronin won the Pirelli International Rally.

After 12 stages in Kielder forest and just under 100 miles of competitive stage action Fermanagh man Clarke and Cork man Keith Cronin in their Autosport Technology prepared Citroen DS3 crossed the finish line 17.2 seconds ahead of team-mate Jarko Nikara/Petri Nikara.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing after the first two stages of the rally for Marshall Clarke and Keith Cronin. As the crews pulled into parc ferme after day 1 Clarke and Cronin were complaining of having a ‘loose’ back end.

Just like the Bulldog Rally testing mileage was limited. But there was a good reason for this. The Autosport Technology car had had literally been built the day before the Pirelli Rally – so the first two stages was all about finding a set-up that Clarke and Cronin were happy with.

As the crews headed back to Carlisle after two 6.36-mile long stages Clarke and Cronin lay in third place 3 seconds behind Jarko Nikara and only 0.8 of a second behind second placed Elfyn Evans.

Day two started brightly for Clarke and Cronin as they came out of the first stage of the second day with the overall lead albeit by 07 of a second from Nikara while Evans dropped to third.

Stage 4 saw Cronin and Clarke extend their advantage to 4.1-seconds but the pair picked up a puncture and lost around eight seconds to their team-mates and rivals Nikara in the second Autosport technology Citroen DS3.

Cronin and Clarke lay in second 3.3-seconds behind Nikara with only seven stages remaining. With two stages before lunch Cronin and Clarke were determined to get back on top and blitzed their rivals setting fastest times on both stage 6 and 7.

As Keith Cronin and SG Elite Sports Elite athlete Marshall Clarke arrived into the lunchtime service they had moved back in front of their Finish team-mate and led the 2012 Pirelli International Rally by 1.5 seconds.

Kielder’s demanding gravel roads served the perfect backdrop for the rally lead as the battle between Keith Cronin/Marshall Clarke and their Finish rivals Jarko Nikara/Petri Nikara went down to the wire.

By the end of stage 9 Nikara had cut the lead to Cronin and Clarke to 0.9 seconds.

By the end of stage 11 Cronin and Clarke had built a lead of 8.2 seconds over the impressive Finish team-mates.

With everything still to play for the 11.5 stage miles of the Pundershaw test was going to be a nail biting one for both crews.

Nikara momentarily struggled for gears during the 11.5-mile Pundershaw stage giving Cronin and Fermanagh man Marshall Clarke a little bit of breathing space. As the crews came out of the final stage Keith Cronin and Marshall Clarke had won the rally by 17.2seconds.

SG Elite Sports Elite athlete Marshall Clarke said, “The 2012 Pirelli International Rally will be etched in mind for some time. This is my first win in the British Rally Championship and I am absolutely delighted. Credit to Keith he drove very well as the battle for the lead was nip and tuck all day long. Thanks to the great job Autosport Technology did with the car and thanks to all the marshalls and the officials out there as event was well run and everything went off on time. Thanks to my long term sponsors GT Exhausts N. Ireland and Knockninny Country House and Marina.

To add to the overall honour Keith and Marshall Clarke also won the Pirelli round of Citroën Racing Trophy UK series.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

The Pirelli is third round of the MSA British Rally Championship and the third round of the Citroen trophy Championship.

Coverage of the fight for the 21st Pirelli Rally will go out on Sky Sports 2 & 2HD this Monday (30th April) at 21:30hrs, then repeated across the Sky Sports channels. For full broadcast schedules and statistics on where in the world you can see the BRC click HERE.

2012 Pirelli International Rally final results: HERE

MSA British Rally Championship points after round three: HERE

For more information on the MSA British Rally Championship visit www.rallybrc.co.uk

For more information:

Simon McBride Creative Director

SG Elite Sports Management
Advantage Business Centre
132 – 134 Great Ancoats Street
Manchester
M4 6DE

Twitter: @sgelitesports

smcbride@sgelitesports.co.uk

+44 (0)7799323932

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