Marshall Clarke and Keith Cronin missed out on the prestigious Citroen Top Driver Award after going off the road on Rally GB.

The pair went into the final round of the series knowing a win would bring with it the championship title and a fully funded drive in WRC2 next season, but an accident on day two of the Wales based event extinguished any hopes of a victorious end to their campaign.

Their Citroen got out of shape around a left hand bend and dropped off the road into the trees, with Marshall having to be airlifted to hospital for a check-up. Although the Enniskillen co-driver was fit to return to a repaired Citroen the next day to complete the event, the 20 minute time penalty incurred for the accident meant they had to be content with a second place finish in WRC3 and third overall in the Citroen Top Driver Championship.

Cronin and Clarke went into the final round of the season on the back of a mixed season that had not always seen their speed rewarded with results, and they knew they would have to overhaul a seven point deficit to Sebastien Chardonnet if they were to take the crown, but their event got off to a frustrating start when they dropped almost a minute on the second stage after collecting a puncture.

They set out on Saturday to make up the deficit, but the accident ended their charge through the pack. They returned to the rally on Sunday knowing they were relying on a Chardonnet retirement to have any chance of the title, but the French driver never looked in danger of not finishing, cruising to the title with the minimum of drama. Quentin Gilbert’s victory in the Citroen Top Driver section on Rally GB relegated the local pair to third in the final championship standings.

Although the WRC3 championship was not their number one priority, they finished second behind newly crowned British Champion Juha Korhonen on Rally GB. Chardonnet has already scored on his six nominated events and could not add to his tally on the final round, but Cronin and Clarke’s second spot was only enough to match the Frenchman’s overall total, with Chardonnet taking the victory by virtue of more first place finishes.

Marshall Clarke is now jetting off to China for the next round of the Chinese Rally Championship, where he will navigate for fellow Fermanagh man Niall McShea. The pair will be looking to record back to back victories in their Skoda following their success on the previous round.