PRESS RELEASE: 21st August 2010

Official Team competing in the 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship

Cronin Eyes Title after Ulster Podium

Defending British Rally Champion Keith Cronin took a major step towards retaining his title when he brought his Pirelli TEG Sport Subaru Impreza N15 home in second place on this weekend's Toddsleap.com Ulster Rally which comprised the penultimate round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship.

The 23-year-old Irishman, along with co driver Barry McNulty finished just over a minute and a quarter behind start to finish leaders Craig Breen and Gareth Roberts but the fact that main rival Gywndaf Evans retired his Mitsubishi halfway through today's stages means that Cronin holds the upper hand going into next month's International Rally Yorkshire.

But it wasn't all plain sailing for Cronin, from Cork, despite setting six fastest stage times out of the 14 special stages. Only sixth after two stages yesterday, the Pirelli Star Driver shoot-out winner of last year had to claw his way back into contention which he did to hold second place overnight, just 20.9 seconds behind Breen's Ford Fiesta S2000.

The unforgiving lanes of Northern Ireland saw the drama continue today and as Cronin narrowed the gap to Breen to just 17.6 seconds, a road penalty saw the crew docked a minute so it was simply a case of consolidating second place which they did to make it two podiums and two victories out of the five rounds run to date.

Making it a successful day for the Carnforth-based TEG Sport team was Bristol driver Adam Gould and co driver Craig Drew who overcame the disappointment of retiring in the last round to bring their Subaru Impreza home in a fine fourth place overall to ensure a decent points haul in the teams' championship for the defending champions, which will also be decided on next month's finale in Yorkshire.

Cronin simply needs a finish in the top ten in the final round to guarantee his second successive British crown but with the tough Yorkshire forests standing between himself and that accolade, neither he nor the TEG Sport team are taking anything for granted just yet.

Keith Cronin: "I'm really happy with the result today, but we can't relax, the title isn't in the bag yet although I only need a top ten finish on the last round to secure the Championship. I could let Craig Breen go this weekend, my fight was with Gwyndaf and I did the job by putting in some tremendous times in order to put the pressure on Gwyndaf and it's worked."

Adam Gould: "The pressure was on me to prove I could bounce back from the accident in the Isle of Man, not only with the car preparation but also to mentally get back on the pace and I think I've proved that this weekend. I needed to show I have the consistency and I think I've done that so I want to say a big thank you to the effort put in by TEG Sport for this rally. I'm over the moon to have helped them claim maximum team points as well."

Stuart Newby - TEG Sport Team Principal: "We have come away leading both the individual and team championships so I cannot fault the level of commitment from both the team and the drivers. This is the best result we could have hoped for and we have a lot to celebrate. We began proceedings on Tuesday at an exclusive test venue, where the team spent a full day setting up the car as time invested there was going to be vital in preparation. We have managed to get the best out of our new suspension settings from our partner, Tein, and it has proved on the event that the pre-event testing has been well worthwhile. Keith put some fantastic times in last night and that put Gwyndaf under pressure, and that was the plan to try and force a mistake. Adam drove brilliantly this weekend and I can't fault him at all. He drove a real sensible rally showing that he has the pace if not the budget. He has done a very professional job for the team here and what a great job, this second and fourth is more like a 1-2 finish for us."

The final round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship takes place on 24/25th September with the International Rally Yorkshire based in Scarborough.

Results

1. Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts - Ford Fiesta S2000 - 1:42:09.5 secs
2. Keith Cronin/Barry McNulty - Subaru Impreza N15 - 1:43:36.5
3. Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 1:44:00.4
4. Adam Gould/Craig Drew - Subaru Impreza N11 - 1:44:43.2
5. Bryan Bouffier/Xavier Panseri - Citron DS3 R3 - 1:45:12.7
6. Jason Pritchard/Robbie Durant - Subaru Impreza N16 - 1:47:20.4
7. Jonathan Greer/Dai Roberts - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 1:47:37.0
8. Mark Donnelly/Stephen O'Hanlon - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - 1:48:19.3
9. Martin McCormack/David Moynihan - Citron C2 R2 Max - 1:49:06.5
10. Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont - Mitsubishi Lancer - 1:49:58.2

Provisional Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship Drivers' Table (after 5 rounds)

1 K Cronin 74
2 J Greer 62
3 G Evans 58
4 J Pritchard 56
5 A Gould 53
6 D Weston 42

 

PRESS RELEASE: Saturday 10th July 2010

TEG SPORT - CRONIN TAKES MANX VICTORY

Rally Isle of Man International - 9th/10th July 2010

Cronin Crushes the Opposition with Magnificent Manx Victory

TEG Sport team driver and co-driver and reigning MSA British Rally Champions, Keith Cronin and Barry McNulty reignited their championship hunt with a fantastic drive to a dominant victory on this weekend's Rally Isle of Man, the fourth round of the 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship.

Conscious of the suspension-related dramas that the team had encountered during a test on the island earlier in the year Town End Garage, Cronin and TEIN Suspension had put a lot of effort into making the Subaru Impreza N15 behave over the notoriously tricky Manx lanes, and after some fine tuning during the first loop on Friday Cronin, the current Pirelli Star Driver recipient, never looked back.

Typically unpredictable weather during the event made tyre choice critical and for a long time Cronin traded times with former British Champion Gwyndaf Evans. But when Evans slid off and dropped a lot of time Cronin was able to control the pace, ending the opening day with a 1 minute 38 second advantage which he extended to an eventual winning margin of 1 minute and 44 seconds over Evans and co-driver Gareth Roberts.

Keith Cronin was all smiles at the ceremonial finish in Douglas: "I am very pleased to be back here. The car worked well, in such treacherous conditions you need to have confidence and we were able to push when we needed to. TEIN and TEG Sport have worked wonders to the car!"

Adam Gould and Craig Drew almost made it two TEG cars on the podium when the young paring dragged their Subaru Impreza N11 up to second overall on Friday afternoon before an altercation with a telegraph pole damaged the radiator and ended their rally.

"Yes I am disappointed to be having an early shower, but once we had the car working for us I was so comfortable in her, winning the notoriously tricky Staarvey Stage was definitely a highlight! I have to say a massive thanks to TEG Sport for all their help and can't wait for Ulster!" said Gould.

Alan Cookson and Julian Wilkinson are rapidly attracting a fan club in their very distinctive Friesian-liveried Subaru Impreza N15. The TEG Sport prepared and Wiseman Dairies, Spar, Kick Energy and Speedline Wheels-sponsored Subaru Impreza N15 unfortunately crashed out on an extremely tricky second stage, ending up on its roof. Both Cookson and Wilkinson were unhurt but 'Moorial' will require a visit to the vet to restore her to full health!

TEG Sport Team Principal Stuart Newby was understandably happy with the result: "One small step for TEG Sport, one GIANT leap for TEIN! After the Manx National we went away and scratched our heads a lot. TEIN have been fantastic and we are over the moon with how the car worked this weekend! To see the smile on Keith's face at the end of the first loop was a big relief! Adam once again proved that he is one of Britain's top young drivers and we will do all we can to help him make it to Ulster and Yorkshire!

The team will head across the Irish sea for the fifth round of the championship, the Rally Northern Ireland, which takes place on 20/21 August.

Result

1, Keith Cronin/Barry McNulty - Subaru Impreza N15 - 2:19:00.3
2, Gwyndaf Evans/Gareth Roberts - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 - 2:20:38.4
3, Jason Pritchard/Robbie Durant - Subaru Impreza N16 - 2:23:51.7
4, Jonathan Greer/Gordon Noble - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 - 2:24:41.5
5, Jarkko Nikara/Petri Nikara - Renault Twingo R2 - 2:29:36.7
6, Dave Weston Jnr/Ieuan Thomas - Subaru Impreza N16 - 2:29:36.8
7, Matti Rantanen/Mikko Lukka - Renault Twingo R2 - 2:29:59.8
8, Elfyn Evans/Andrew Edwards - Ford Fiesta R2 - 2:30:03.9
9, Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton - Mitsubishi Evo 9 - 2:30:18.6
10, Robert Barrable/Damien Connolly - Citroen C2 R2 Max - 2:30:20.9

Provisional Championship Positions (after round 4)

1, Jonathan Greer 62 points
2, Gwyndaf Evans 58 points
3, Keith Cronin 56 points
4, Jason Pritchard 55 points
5, Dave Weston Jnr 42 points

Picture attached courtesy of Jakob Ebrey: Keith Cronin and Barry McNulty in action on the Rally Isle of Man International today.

 

PRESS RELEASE: Saturday 29th May 2010

Jim Clark International Rally - 28th/29th May 2010

JIM CLARK PODIUM FOR CRONIN

Pirell TEG Sport driver Keith Cronin got his 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship back on course with a battling podium placing on this weekend's Jim Clark International Rally.

Driving the TEG Sport prepared and Pirelli sponsored Subaru Impreza N15, along with co driver Barry McNulty, the defending British Rally Champion set the pace during last night's stages on the closed public roads around Duns and led early on before a clash with an unforgiving bank dropped him time but he still ended the leg in second place overall.

Despite an unfavourable weather forecast today, the roads remained mainly dry and the 23-year-old Irishman pushed hard in the early stages to hang on to his second position but after puncturing he dropped to fourth overall.

Mindful that he needed to score points after his unfortunate non finish on the previous round, Cronin mixed speed with caution and was rewarded with a third place finish at the Duns finish ramp this evening.

"It's been a tough event for us. We started very well but it went a bit downhill after we dropped some time today because of the puncture problem but I'm very pleased to get on the podium and score important points after missing out on the Pirelli Rally. I'm looking forward to the Manx International where we'll be trying hard for the win." said Cronin.

There was disappointment for Euan Thorburn and co driver Paul Beaton who failed to make the start of their local event in their TEG Sport Subaru.

Thorburn, from Duns, was hoping to make an impression on his local event but suffered a misfire on the shakedown stage yesterday and didn't make the start as a result.

However he will be hoping to make amends in tomorrow's Reivers Rally where he and Beaton start as one of the favourites.

Stuart Newby - TEG Sport Team Principal: "It was very important for Keith and Barry to be on the podium today and they achieved that. Third place isn't where we want to be but considering the luck we've had recently we'll take that, and it means we've scored important points in both the drivers' and the teams' championships to put us back in contention. I feel desperately sorry for Euan and Paul, their luck goes from bad to worse and I also feel for the team who spilled blood in getting the car ready after their Manx roll. Hopefully he can bounce back with a win tomorrow and put a smile back on the team's faces."

After three rounds of the 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship, Cronin holds sixth in the series with Thorburn, despite his non finish, retaining eleventh position in the series.

The next round of the 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship is the Manx International Rally on 9/10th July.

Result

1, Gwyndaf Evans/Chris Patterson, Mitsubishi Evo X, 1:54:33.5
2, Alastair Fisher/Rory Kennedy, Mitsubishi Evo 9, 1:55:04.6
3, Keith Cronin/Barry McNulty, Subaru Impreza N15, 1:56:20.1
4, Jonathan Greer/Dai Roberts, Mitsubishi Evo 9, 1:57:17.7
5, Jason Pritchard/Robbie Durant, Subaru Impreza, 1:57:32.5
6, Adam Gould/Dave Robson, Subaru Impreza N11, 1:57:59.4
7, Daniel Sigurdoarson/Asta Siguroadottir, Mitsubishi Evo X, 2:00:57.0
8, Dave Weston Jnr/Ieuan Thomas, Subaru Impreza N16, 2:01:37.0
9, Robert Barrable/Damien Connolly, Citroen C2R2 Max, 2:02:09.1
10, Alan Cookson/Julian Wilkinson, Subaru Impreza N15, 2:02:54.0

Provisional Championship Positions (after round 3)

1, Jonathan Greer 47 points
2, Gwyndaf Evans 40 points
3, Jason Pritchard 39 points
4=, Daniel Sigurdoarson 38 points
4=, Adam Gould 38 points
6, Keith Cronin 36 points

Picture attached courtesy of Jakob Ebrey: Keith Cronin and Barry McNulty in action on the Jim Clark International Rally today

 

PRESS RELEASE: Saturday 8th May 2010

TESTING TIMES FOR TEG SPORT ON MANX RALLY

The Pirelli TEG Sport Rally Team endured a fraught time and frustrating end to a testing weekend on this weekend's Manx Telecom Rally when Scottish driver Euan Thorburn crashed out on Friday night and Irish talent Keith Cronin retired from second overall with one stage to go.

The Carnforth-based team had entered the two-day Manx event with one goal and that was to gain experience of their TEIN Suspension over the notoriously bumpy lanes that comprise the Island as they prepare for the next three tarmac rounds of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship.

23-year-old Scottish Group N Champion Euan Thorburn and co driver Paul Beaton had an early end to their second ever visit to the Island when the pair were caught out on a notoriously bumpy section midway through the third stage on Friday night. Thorburn lost control of his Subaru Impreza at an estimated 125mph with catastrophic results and whilst both crew members were uninjured, the previously pristine Impreza was badly damaged.

By contrast, team-mate and defending British Rally Champion and winner of the Pirelli Star Driver shoot-out in 2009, Keith Cronin, along with co driver Barry McNulty, enjoyed a very constructive weekend. Whilst the main intention was to work on set up, Cronin was still at his best, dominating Group N and lying second overall for most of the event and setting a number of fastest stage times. However, two stages from the end of the 15-stage rally, 23-year-old Cronin's Impreza stepped out on a medium speed corner and the Irishman clipped a tree, bending a rear bottom arm and ultimately retiring to save further damage to the car.

Stuart Newby - TEG Sport Team Principal: "This weekend might look like a bit of a disaster but we actually have a lot of positives to take away from this event. Ignoring Keith's amazing stage times, our main objective was to work on the suspension settings. Our partners TEIN had flown one of their top technicians out from Japan purely to test some new components and by the end of the event we had found a very good base setting. What happened with Euan was just silly. He knew that we were here to test and not to race but his youthfulness got the better of him. The car is fairly extensively damaged and it's doubtful that we will have it ready in time for the Jim Clark, which is very unfortunate."

The next round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship takes place on 28/29th May with the Jim Clark International Rally based in Kelso.

Further information on the team, drivers and championship, please visit: www.tegsport.co.uk, www.keithcroninrallying.com, www.euanthorburn.com and www.rallybrc.co.uk.

Results

1, Paul Bird/Kirsty Riddick - Ford Focus WRC - 1:38:16.2
2, Steven Quine/Richard Skinner - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI - 1:41:36.5
3, Damian Cole/Craig Drew - Ford Focus WRC - 1:42:17.7
4, Jonathon Greer/Dai Roberts - Mitsubishi Evo 9 - 1:42:18.9
5, Graham Coffey/David Gamblin - Subaru Impreza S12 WRC - 1:42:51.4
6, Andrew Leece/Graham Fargher - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI - 1:43:22.3
7, John Stone/Lee Carter - Skoda Fabia WRC - 1:43:23.8
8, Mark Jasper/Don Whyatt - MG Metro 6R4 - 1:44:18.9
9, Wesley Patterson/Martin McGarrity - Ford Escort - 1:44:46.7
10, Martyn Jones/Maurice Snell - Mitsubishi Evo VI - 1:45:19.4

Picture attached courtesy of Geoff Mayes: Keith Cronin and Barry McNulty in action on the Manx Telecom Rally.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: Saturday 24th April 2010

Pirelli International Rally - 23/24 April 2010

PIRELLI HEARTBREAK FOR TEG SPORT

The Pirelli TEG Sport Rally Team suffered the cruellest of fortunes when defending British Rally Champion Keith Cronin was denied victory on the very last stage of the Pirelli International Rally based in Carlisle today.

Having won the opening round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship last month, Cronin and co driver Barry McNulty were hoping to make it two out of two and were in control after leading throughout the event but less than 200 metres from the end of the twelfth and final stage the Subaru ground to a halt after suffering a puncture which in turn damaged the wiring loom. Cronin gallantly got the car to the end of the stage but any hopes of victory, and with it maximum points, were shattered.

The Pirelli Star Driver from 2009 had set a scintillating pace from the start last night and held a 24-second advantage going into today's nine stages in Kielder Forest. From then on he maintained his lead despite a strong challenge from Welshman Gwyndaf Evans, and held a 17-second advantage going into the last stage, but to no avail as it turned out.

Pirelli TEG Sport team-mate Euan Thorburn and co driver Paul Beaton were also out of luck when after setting fifth fastest time on SS1, the Scotsman suffered a puncture on last night's second stage dropping ten minutes after stopping and changing the wheel in the dark.

Faced with a monumental battle during Saturday's nine stages, Thorburn bravely battled back into contention and at half distance was up to 22nd.

A concerted effort through the final three stages saw the former Scottish Champion claim 14th at the finish to salvage precious little consolation for the Carnforth-based team.

Keith Cronin: "I knew I had to push because Gwyndaf was closing and when I punctured I knew I couldn't ease off and sadly it didn't work out for us. It's a very sad way to lose a rally by coming so close and I feel especially sorry for the team who have worked so hard this weekend. We'll put this disappointment behind us and now look forward to the rest of the season."

Euan Thorburn: "I'm so disappointed. It was always about who was going to get punctures and who didn't and there's no way you can bounce back after losing so much time. We now need to focus on the rest of the season and I hope to put in a good performance on my home event, the Jim Clark Rally, next time out and in the meantime both myself and the team will be looking to get some extra practice in when we contest the Manx Rally in a couple of weeks time."

Stuart Newby, TEG Sport: "What can I say? It's very disappointing. Keith was controlling the pace to maintain a gap and not do anything silly, but 'Killer Kielder' lives up to its name as 50% of the entry has been affected by punctures this weekend. It's just not been our weekend but looking at the stage times it proves that both Keith and Euan were on the pace so I guess we can take some positives from that."

Pirelli International Rally Result

1, Gwyndaf Evans/Chris Patterson - Mitsubishi Evo X - 1:27:58.0
2, Jonathan Greer/Dai Roberts - Mitsubishi Evo IX - 1:30:31.2
3, Craig Breen/Gareth Roberts - Ford Fiesta S2000 - 1:30:46.1
4, Daniel Sigurdarson/Asta Sigurdardottir - Mitsubishi Evo X - 1:31:46.1
5, Owen Murphy/James O'Brien - Mitsubishi Evo IX - 1:33:33.4
6, Jason Tauber Pritchard/Robbie Durant - Subaru Impreza N16 - 1:33:42.6
7, Jarkko Nikara/Jarno Ottman - Renault Twingo R2 - 1:35:02.0
8, Alan Cookson/Julian Wilkinson - Subaru Impreza N15 - 1:36:56.0
9, Elfyn Evans/Andrew Edwards - Ford Fiesta ST - 1:37:08.9
10, Adam Gould/Craig Drew - Subaru Impreza N11 - 1:37:50.3

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: Sunday 27th March 2010

2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship

Round One - Bulldog International Rally North Wales, Welshpool, Powys - Saturday 27th March 2010

PIRELLI TEG SPORT TRIUMPHANT ON BULLDOG

The Pirelli TEG Sport Rally Team scored a dominant victory on the opening round of the 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship when reigning champion Keith Cronin won the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales convincingly and a total of three TEG Sport cars finished the gruelling rally inside the top four overall, with Adam Gould third and Euan Thorburn fourth for the defending MSA British Rally Teams Champions.

The 23-year-old 2009 British Rally Champion and winner of the Pirelli Star Driver shoot-out last year, Cronin, along with new co driver Barry McNulty, were making their competitive debut for the Carnforth-based team at the opening round of the 2010 series and the pair stamped their authority from the word go with a blistering time on the opening 16 miles of Myherin. Going 22 seconds faster than anyone else gave the County Cork driver a lead he would maintain until the end, taking six fastest stages times out of the eight stages during the day to return to Welshpool victorious for the second year in a row.

23-year-old Scottish Group N Champion Euan Thorburn from Duns along with co driver Paul Beaton enjoyed a very strong run, narrowly missing out on the final podium position after recovering from a broken driveshaft early in the event. Apart from the second test, where he was nursing the damaged component, Thorburn consistently ran inside the top five all day long and returned to the finish a mere 15 seconds off the podium.

TEG Sport associate drivers had mixed fortunes on the event as Adam Gould also battled well to claim the final podium placing whilst Alan Cookson retired with a broken driveshaft at half distance.

The victory heralded the first International win for the latest shape Subaru Impreza S15 rally car on British soil proving that the Subaru is more than adequate as a title contender.

The fantastic result is also a historic moment for TEG Sport as it also signals the very first International rally victory on gravel for the team.

Keith Cronin: "I am very pleased with how today has gone. We aimed for a good clean run in the morning and ended up leading! We made a few small set up changes during the day but nothing major, the car has been fantastic and full credit to the team for giving me the tools to defend my 2009 title."

Euan Thorburn: "Today was very much about confidence building. I was pretty rusty this morning and this was only my third time writing my own pacenotes so there is a bit of refining still to do. The car was great, we adjusted a few things as the day progressed and are very pleased with our performance."

Lynn Newby - TEG Sport: "To have three of our cars in the top four is incredible! Keith drove an amazing rally, finding the perfect balance between pace and mechanical sympathy. Euan drove a nice and controlled event and if it wasn't for the damaged driveshaft in the morning he would most certainly have been on the podium. Adam, bless him, has worked especially hard in the run up to this event and so to finish third after all of his effort is a fine reward and hard luck to Alan today, he's not had much luck lately."

The next round of the Dulux Trade British Rally Championship takes place on 23/24th April with the Pirelli International Rally based in Carlisle.

Further information on the team, drivers and championship, please visit: www.tegsport.co.uk, www.keithcroninrallying.com, www.euanthorburn.com and www.rallybrc.co.uk.

Results

1 Keith Cronin/Barry McNulty - Pirelli TEG Sport Subaru Impreza - 1:40:03.0
2 Dave Weston Jnr/Ieuan Thomas - Subaru Impreza - 1:42:04.7
3 Adam Gould/Craig Drew - TEG Sport Subaru Impreza - 1:42:31.6
4 Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton - Pirelli TEG Sport Subaru Impreza - 1:42:47.1
5 Jonathan Greer/Dai Roberts - Mitsubishi Lancer - 1:43:04.5
6 Darren Gass/Neil Shanks - Subaru Impreza - 1:44:59.5
7 Jason Pritchard/Robbie Durant - Subaru Impreza - 1:45:28.8
8 D.Sigurdarson/A.Sigurdardottir - Mitsubishi Lancer - 1:46:00.4
9 Elfyn Evans/Andrew Edwards - Ford Fiesta ST - 1:50:30.5
10 Robert Swann/Darren Garrod - Subaru Impreza - 1:50:47.8

 

PRESS RELEASE: Saturday 6th March 2010

Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship 2010

PIRELLI TEG SPORT TEAM DECLARE TESTS A SUCCESS

Defending MSA British Rally Team's Champions TEG Sport kicked off their 2010 campaign with some intensive testing as drivers Keith Cronin and Euan Thorburn were in action during the week at Sweet Lamb in Wales on Thursday followed by running as course cars as part of the two-car Pirelli TEG Sport team on today's Malcolm Wilson Rally.

The Carnforth-based team were using their local event as a shakedown prior to the opening round of the 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship which takes place later in the month with the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales and both 23-year-old Cronin from County Cork along with co driver Barry McNulty, and 23-year-old Scotsman Thorburn from Duns with Paul Beaton on the notes declared it a success as they crested the Cockermouth finish ramp in their latest version Subaru N15s.

Cronin, the defending British Rally Champion and winner of the Pirelli Star Driver shoot-out last year, which secured him a fully funded drive in the MSA British Rally Championship for 2010 with tyre giant Pirelli and Scottish Group N Champion Thorburn both confirmed the mileage gained over the past few days had been crucial in preparation for the upcoming opening round in three weeks' time, despite the icy conditions being less than favourable.

Also in action was another TEG Sport crew, Alan Cookson and Julian Wilkinson, who were contesting the 45-stage mile event in their ex-Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru N15, but they retired after SS4.

Keith Cronin: "After the test on Thursday and following today's event, I can confirm I'm very happy with the car. Conditions were very tricky and not what we really wanted and it wasn't helped by running first car on the road. We have identified there's a little bit of work to do in one or two areas but that was the idea of these tests and they are only small adjustments as there's always room for improvement. Hopefully we can build on what we've learned and also to get another test in before the Bulldog as I'm really looking forward to getting my title defence underway in three weeks' time."

Euan Thorburn: "Thursday was very productive for me and today was all about putting the changes we made into practice and I'm very pleased with our progress. The car was great and it's a big step up to what I'm used to and the snow and ice made it very tough but with each corner, I grew in confidence. It was the first time I've done this event and found it very technical which also helped with the handling and performance of the car so I can't wait to get stuck in on the Bulldog later in the month."

The Bulldog International Rally of North Wales takes place on Saturday 27th March 2010 and for further information please visit the event website www.bulldog-rally.co.uk.

For further information on the team, drivers and championship, please visit: www.tegsport.co.uk