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By Tim Whittington
Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, 23.08.10
Pat Doran won in round five.
British Rallycross champion Pat Doran (Winkleigh) has been forced to withdraw from the August Bank Holiday Monday round of the 2010 championship at Lydden Hill Race Circuit after suffering a back injury last week. Doran’s Ford Fiesta Supercar will still be at Lydden where his son Liam will race the car in what is set to be a very well contested event.
Doran won the fifth round of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship at Mallory Park earlier this month, moving into second place in the series and cutting the advantage of championship leader Andy Grant (Barnstaple) to just three points. The championship allows each driver to discard their lowest score from the eight events, so Doran’s hopes of retaining the title are not yet lost, as long as he can return to the driving seat for the final two events. "Obviously missing the Lydden event is not good for my championship position but I can’t compete as I am and the best thing to do is to miss this one and concentrate on being fit to race at Blyton in September. I’ll just have to be focused on trying to catch up whatever I lose by not racing at Lydden."
Liam Doran (Sittingbourne) has stepped up from the British championship to race in the European Rallycross Championship this year where he is driving for the KHM Citroën team. Enjoying a highly successful first season in europe, Doran Jnr. became the first British driver to win a European Rallycross Championship event for 18 years when he won the Finnish round of the ten-race series in July. The 23-year-old started his season on a high by winning the opening round of the British championship at Lydden in what was a test event with the Citroën team and the C4 Supercar he races in Europe.
Showcase event attracts stars
The August Bank Holiday event is one of the traditional highlights of the British Rallycross Championship and the popularity of the event means that Doran Jnr. is not the only driver to add the race to his schedule. Kevin Procter (Northallerton) also concentrates his efforts in the European Rallycross Championship but will race his Ford Focus ST Supercar at Lydden on Monday. Procter too has won a round of the British championship this year, taking victory in the Night Race event at Blyton in June. Crossing the English Channel to race at Lydden will be Belgian racer Koen Pauwels who has decided to return with his Ford Focus ST after enjoying the Easter Monday event at Lydden.
SuperModified champion returns
While overall British champion Pat Doran will sit out the Lydden event, the SuperModified class champion James Bird (Midhurst) will make his first appearance of the 2010 season. After winning back to back titles in 2008 and ’09, Bird decided to take time out this year while he built a new car. With that project progressing well, he now wants to sell the Renault ClioSport V6 in which he dominated the class for two years.
“I wasn’t planning to race at all this year but Lydden is always a good event and it’s my ‘home’ track,” said the Sussex-based gamekeeper, "I’m building a rear-wheel drive ‘BMW’ Mini to race next year and so I want to sell the Renault. Getting out there and reminding everyone that the car is competitive is the best way to help sell it."
After a relatively quiet start to the year, competition in the SuperModified class is increasing and Bird’s return to the category will add interest to the battle at Lydden. After leading the class all year, Julian Godfrey (Heathfield) surrendered his points lead to Mike Howlin (Haverfordwest) after missing round five earlier this month. Howlin finished second in that event, Jamie Lea (Wrexham) taking his second win of the year and moving into contention for the class title.
Full supporting programme
There is a full supporting programme at Lydden where the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship is joined by the new Suzuki Swift Sport series and the RX150 off-road ‘buggies’ as well as the diverse and competitive BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship in which Shelley Wakeling (Braintree) is the overall points leader and, with three events left to run, well placed to become the first female driver to win the championship.
Round seven venue change
The seventh round of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, scheduled to take place at Mallory Park on September 12 has been moved to the Blyton venue in Lincolnshire but will retain its original date. The move has been made to allow a programme of work on the track at Mallory Park to be carried out earlier than initially planned. Blyton hosted round three of the British championship, the successful Night Race event, in June.
Rallycross Open Day – your chance to drive at Lydden
Members of the public and prospective competitors will have the chance to drive a Rallycross car at Lydden on September 25 when the Swift Sport Championship Rallycross Open Day is held at the circuit. Admission to the track is free, but anyone interested in either driving on the day or taking a passenger ride in a Rallycross car, must book in advance with the event organiser by calling 0844 545 8257, or e-mail events@swiftrallycross.com.
Event details:
Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, round six, Monday August 30
Racing from 0900
Adults admission £15, children under 12 free
Sunday Camping - £5
Lydden Hill Race Circuit, CT4 6RX
Tel: 01304 830557
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