50th anniversary of British Rallycross set to commence at Lydden Hill
As the British Rallycross Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary, it’s only fitting that the opening rounds of the 2026 Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy take at the home of the discipline, Lydden Hill (April 5-6).
A long-standing fixture in the calendar, the Easter Bank Holiday rallycross event, presented by Practical Car & Van Rental, has been the scene of some of the sport’s biggest moments, and more of the same can be expected in the opening rounds of the new campaign.
Reigning British Rallycross Champion Derek Tohill (Peugeot 208) returns to begin the defence of his second crown, claimed at the Lydden Hill season-finale last year, but the Dublin-based double European Rallycross Champion will face stiff opposition. Fellow Dubliner John McCluskey has switched to a Honda Civic Coupe Supercar for the new season and won the Supercar finals on both days in an Irish Rallycross Championship event recently at Mondello Park, while six-time British Champion Julian Godfrey (Citroen DS3) can never be discounted.
Lydden local and multiple rallycross champion Tristan Ovenden has switched to a Volkswagen Polo in a bid to improve his title-contending potential this season, while for the Lydden Hill opener his Ovenden Motorsport Citroen DS3 will be raced by class newcomer Matt Cake, the reigning Swift Sport Rallycross Champion.
Steve Hill returns to rallycross after a year away with his unique Mitsubishi Evo X, while George Tracey (Citroen C4) and Tom van den Heuvel (Volkswagen Scirocco) both raced at Lydden to close the 2025 campaign and are back for more. Tomas Ramanauskas (Mitsubishi Evo) also joins the field.
There will be a new champion in the Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship in 2026, Tommy Brown arguably the favourite in the single-make Suzuki Swift division as the highest placed of the returning drivers. He’s joined by William Hands, who also competed last year, and a host of newcomers in the shape of Jake Wardle, Ethan Miles and George Edenborough.
The Motorsport UK Cross Car Championship continues to go from strength-to-strength, with a range of new and returning competitors and a variety of machinery. The Cross Car series began at the opening round of the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship at Blyton Park last month, where Bradley Turner (LifeLive TN11) claimed victory and leads the standings, followed by team mates James Black (Mygale XC01) and Will Ovenden. Reigning Junior Rallycross Champion Teddie Macpherson (LifeLive TN11) also joins the strong field this year. The RX150 Championship joins Cross Car on track, with former champions Stephen Jones and Ben Hardy set to battle for class honours.
Having been trialled at the final round of 2025, the Motorsport UK Cross Car Junior Championship for drivers between 14 and 17 years of age has a full season in 2026 and following the Blyton Park opener, it’s Phoebe Cake (LifeLive TN11) who leads siblings Harry Flitney (LifeLive TN5) and Jessica Flitney (LifeLive TN11) in the points.
The rich history of rallycross is celebrated with the Super Retro and Retro Rallycross Championships, with an eclectic mix of exotic machinery in action. Best placed of the returning drivers in Super Retro from last year, Stuart Emery (Volvo 242), Pat Doran (Ford Escort) and Vincent Bristow (BMW E36) will all be in the victory hunt, as will event winner Nigel Davey (Triumph TR7 V8) and former champions Gary Simpson (BMW M3) and Ray Morgan (Ford Escort). Within a strong entry, Retro class champion Dan Swayland steps up a division with his heavily-revised Ford Escort MKI. In the Retro class for under 1600cc machines, Tony Lynch (Peugeot 205), Ian Biagi (BMC Mini) and Joe Luke-Eastwood (Rover Metro) are likely to challenge for the top step of the podium.
Former Swift Sport Rallycross Champion Max Weatherly returns to the tightly-controlled single-make class for 2026 having spent time winning the Cross Car Championship title in recent seasons. Weatherly will undoubtedly start as favourite, but will need to fend off returning drivers Philip Seath, Samuel Petersen and Daryl Chaffey, and debutant Ben Williams.
Find the full entry list for the event below.
