40th Anniversary of first Rallycross to be celebrated at Lydden

Rallycross will celebrate its 40th birthday when the first round of the 2007 MSA British Rallycross Championship takes place at Lydden on Easter Monday (April 9) in the Tonhire.com 40th Anniversary Rallycross.

The first Rallycross event was run at Lydden on February 4 1967 and was won by Vic Elford driving a Porsche 911. Lydden’s traditional Easter Monday Rallycross has been chosen for the celebration to ensure the anniversary is marked by a top class event at the 'home of Rallycross'.“While It may have been more appropriate to run a commemorative event in February, it can be an unpleasant time of year to be outside and it’s too early in the year to get a representative entry,” explained John Horton, chairman of the British Rallycross Drivers Association (BRDA) which will organise the event.

“The BRDA event on Easter Monday (April 9th) is Lydden’s biggest of the year and it’s the best possible way in which to celebrate the anniversary.” The Tonhire.com 40th Anniversary Rallycross will include a Classic Rallycross category as well as static displays of classic competition cars. Star drivers and celebrities from the first 40 years of Rallycross are also being invited to attend the event. The BRDA will further promote the Tonhire.com 40th Anniversary Rallycross at Race Retro which takes place at Stoneleigh Park (Coventry) on March 23-25. The centre piece of its display will be the Xtrac Escort created by Norwegian Rallycross superstar Martin Schanche and English engineer Mike Endean at the end of 1983 and which Schanche used to win the 1984 FIA European Rallycross Championship. The success of the car and its revolutionary four-wheel drive transmission system launched Endean’s specialist transmission company Xtrac. The car, now owned by Endean and restored to its original specification is probably the single most iconic car ever to have emerged from Rallycross.

The 2007 MSA British Rallycross Championship (BRC) will be run over eight rounds, all of which will be televised and broadcast on British and European channels. All rounds of this year’s BRC will also be listed on the FIA calendar which will enable European competitors to take part in the championship.British championship title holder Christopher Evans will return to defend his crown but, in what is shaping up to be the best contested BRC ever, will be worked hard by a growing band of rivals. Multiple champion Dermot Carnegie will drive a new Fiesta ST-based Supercar, while record breaking teenager Andrew Jordan returns with the G-Tech Ford Focus. Irishman George Tracey will drive his new Peugeot 307CC and 2005 champion Pat Doran is rebuilding his team after a troubled 2006 season.The BRC will again be supported by the Bill Gwynne Rallyschool International Junior Rallycross Championship which features ain all eight events. The BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship is on the programme for the seven events on the British mainland.