Keith Cronin recorded his very first Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge victory on this weekend’s RBS International Manx Rally when, with co-driver Greg Shinnors, he took the lead after Richard Cathcart/Martin Brady suffered a puncture and then mechanical problems on the penultimate stage.

After winning last year’s Evolution Challenge on the island, Neil McCance delivered another top-class performance to finish second, whilst Daniel Barry managed to cling onto his championship lead after surviving a host of incidents throughout the event to claim third place and his 100% podium position finish record this season.

The Isle of Man’s demanding tarmac roads lived up to their reputation of providing competitors with one of the toughest tests of the season, when 12 Evolution Challenge crews met up with teams contesting the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the Richard Egger Insurance MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and others just entering the 120-mile rally on an individual basis, to provide a total entry of 124 cars.

With just three stages left to go, Richard Cathcart’s lead looked unassailable, but he clipped something at the side of the road in SS13 and punctured the nearside front wheel, and his chances of a dominant victory rapidly dropped away. Further damage was sustained to the front hub and surrounding components before the end of the stage, so it was Cronin who arrived in Douglas ahead of the Evo Challenge field. After an agonising wait, it was revealed that Cathcart’s 11th hour problems had caused him to exceed his maximum lateness and was therefore un-classified in the results, a bitter blow to what was an outstanding display of driving. His retirement elevated McCance to second.

At the finish a delighted Keith Cronin said: “It’s great to take my first Evolution Challenge win. This weekend was a case of learning the car on tarmac and building up the speed as the rally went on. We just kept plugging away and had almost accepted we were going to finish second, but in rallying, it’s not over until it’s over and, although I feel for Richard (Cathcart), this result has really made a difference to our championship hopes.”

Evo Challenge competitors now have just three weeks to prepare for round four, the Severn Valley National Rally on 31st May, when the championship switches back to a gravel surface and the forests of mid-Wales - and, with a different winner on each of the three rounds so far, the title chase is still wide open.