Bank Holiday Monday, it must be Rallycross at Lydden

The Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship will make its third and final Lydden appearance of the year when the sixth round of the eight-event championship takes place at the Kent circuit on August Bank Holiday Monday.

The championship is finely poised ahead of the traditional August showcase event with more than half-a-dozen drivers still able to win the overall British title. The current championship leader is Andrew Jordan (Lichfield) who drives the Ford Focus prepared by Canterbury-based former British and European champion Will Gollop. Jordan has won two events this year, but has also lost out twice at Lydden when victory had appeared certain. In the championship opener on Easter Monday, Jordan was fastest qualifier and led the Superfinal into the first bend where the Focus lost drive. The third round of the championship took place at Lydden on May 28 and Jordan had secured pole position for the Superfinal before the event was abandoned in the face of extreme weather conditions. While the BRC’s teenager superstar will be hoping it’s third time lucky at Lydden his more mature rivals know that they need to win in order to remain in the hunt.

However, the man likely to be Jordan’s closest challenger at Lydden has already kissed his title hopes goodbye. Local star Pat Doran (Milstead) had a troubled start to the 2007 season with a string of technical problems hitting his Ford Fiesta ST. Doran has now accepted that he has no chance of taking the title, but is aiming to take some moral boosting event wins in the closing races of the season. Fast at Lydden, and always determined to win in front of his home crowd, Doran is a good tip for the top on Monday.

Multiple British champion Dermot Carnegie (Dublin) is never far from the front but knows he must win soon this year in order to remain in the title chase, while Ollie O’Donovan (London) is the most recent event winner in championship and will be aiming to add to his round five victory. Terry Briggs (Pembury) and Chris Langley (Hastings) also start in the Supercar category in what is their local event.

Drivers in the SuperModified (two-wheel drive) category are also eligible for the the overall British championship title, but have their own increasingly tense battle to fight. Dave Bellerby (Northallerton) has been on top of the class for the last couple of years, but has a new rival in the shape of 17-year-old Ben Power (Welshpool). Like Jordan, Power has progressed from the Junior Rallycross class to become a front runner in the adult classes and passed Bellerby to score sensational event win at Knockhill in round five. Local racers hoping for a good run at Lydden include title contender James Bird (Midhurst) with his Renault Cliosport V6, Liam Doran (Milstead) and Ashford-based Terry Moore.

Tony Lynch (Wigan) leads the way in the Yokohama Stock Hatch class but has another former Junior racer, Ash Simpson (York) breathing down his neck. After missing round five, current title holder Julian Godfrey (Heathfield) needs a win at his home track to stay in the title race.

The Bill Gwynne Rallyschool Junior Rallycross Championship and the BTRDA Clubmans Championship form the supporting bill to the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship. With three event wins to his credit already, Ben Rennison (Richmond) leads the Junior championship from Samantha Thom (Cookstown).
Rennison is also the overall points leader in the BTRDA Clubmans series where he is ahead of Stock Hatch class leader Dave Baines (Tarporley).