Bleasdale claims 5 Nations BRX Supernational spoils at Lydden Hill 2WD Superprix
Vauxhall VX220 racer Jason Bleasdale extended his lead in the Motorsport UK Supernational Rallycross Championship as 5 Nations BRX joined the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship for the inaugural 2WD Superprix at Lydden Hill (August 17).
Bleasdale took the lead of the Supernational final from the start, chased by brother and team mate Darren Bleasdale in a similar car and Lydden Hill local Fred Ling (Ford Fiesta). However, while Darren Bleasdale would later retire with problems, championship leader Jason drove clear out front to win the encounter by a comfortable margin from Ling and returnee Paul Coney (Vauxhall Corsa) who completed the podium. Fellow front-wheel-drive runner Darren Scott (Citroen C2) just missed out on a rostrum finish having pressured Coney in the closing stages, while BMW Mini racer Andrew Hawkes made a great start from the third row of the grid, but lost ground after contact with Belgian Dave Van Beers (Renault Clio), the pair finishing fifth and sixth respectively.
Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship
Reigning Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Champion and current series leader Tyler Mcalpin claimed victory in round six of the 2024 campaign, but it was top qualifier Benjamin Bartlett who took the win on track, before being handed a four-place penalty for a first corner incident in which Cayden Harris was spun through 360 degrees while challenging for the race lead. Having pressured race leader Bartlett, Mcalpin was promoted to victory following Bartlett’s penalty with Teddie Macpherson second while Kenyan driver Amaan Ganatra returned to Junior RX and scored a maiden podium. Cayden Harris was classified fourth having pressured Ganatra for race position, while Bartlett ended up fifth and David Mcadams was sixth.
BMW MINI Rallycross Championship
Wesley Wickens claimed top BMW Mini Rallycross Championship points in the category amalgamated with the BMW Mini class from the BTRDA Rallycross Championship. In the final it was BTRDA runner and former Junior RX racer Ben Sayer who claimed the overall race win, ahead of Lyn Llewellyn. During the encounter, mid-battle contact between Wickens and fellow 2024 final winner Abbie McGuinness dropped McGuinness down the order, before McGuinness lost more time with a spin following contact from Allan Laidler, who was penalised post-race. A later incident between Sayer and Wickens dropped Wickens to third, while Harvey Harman finished fourth.
RX150 Rallycross Championship / Cross Car Rallycross Championship
Mygale driver Richard Rees claimed victory in the amalgamated Cross Car Rallycross Championship and RX150 Rallycross Championship final, to take top Cross Car honours, while it was former champion Stephen Jones to claimed the RX150 spoils, having finished third overall in the final encounter. David Kane led early on, but lost out in a battle for the lead at the hairpin, from which Max Weatherly, racing his LifeLive TN11, took the lead until losing ground with the joker strategy and getting overtaken by Rees in a dash to the finish line. Weatherly finished second. Will Butler (LifeLive TN11) was third of the Cross Car runners and fourth overall, while Supercar racer Tristan Ovenden made his RX150 debut, ran first of the single-make runners early on and eventually finished second in class and fifth in the final. Ben Hardy completed the RX150 podium.
Swift Sport Rallycross Championship
Championship leader Will Ovenden qualified top of the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship runners at the 2WD Superprix, the Swift drivers racing on track with the BTRDA Production category, but come the final it was Andrew Sage who claimed the single-make Swift Sport victory, ahead of Chris Cake, who had to recover from a big spin in the opening corner after contact, while rallycross returnee Naftali Ayieko was classified third in his first Swift Sport start. Newcomer Scott Parker failed to finish the final after contact that put him out of the running. Will Ovenden also failed to finish the final.
Retro Rallycross Championship
Super Retro Rallycross Championship leader Charlie French (Ford Escort) dominated the fifth round of the series, setting the fastest time in each of the qualifying heats, before winning the semi-final and leading the final from the front. It wasn’t all plain sailing for the winner however as he endured pressure from Porsche 911 racer and former champion Barry Stewart, who finished within a second of the winner as runner-up after a fight-back drive. Allan Tapscott finished third of the Super Retro runners. Tony Lynch (Toyota MR2) finished top of the Retro Rallycross drivers for up to 1600cc engines, despite having a spin after contact at Paddock Bend in the final and getting collected by Super Retro driver Vince Bristow (BMW E36), who failed to finish. Simon Hart (Ford Escort) was second in the Retro Rallycross category.