New driver line-up for PROTON R3 Rally Team

The PROTON R3 Rally Team has confirmed that Irishman Keith Cronin and Niall McShea from Northern Ireland will drive its brace of Satria Neo Super 2000s on Barum Czech Rally Zlin from August 27-29.

Run by the British MEM organisation, the PROTON R3 Rally Team is embarking on its second appearance in this year’s IRC following its entry on Geko Ypres Rally in June when Chris Atkinson and Alister McRae drove its two factory machines.

Cronin is the reigning British rally champion, while McShea is a former PROTON driver and the winner of the Production Car World Rally Championship title in 2004.

"Niall has done some testing for us in the development of the Satria and we wanted to put him in the car for an IRC round this season and Zlin fits perfectly," said PROTON R3 Rally Team principal Chris Mellors. "And it’s hard to ignore Keith Cronin. He’s a British champion and one of the hottest young talents around."