Former MSA Supernational Rallycross Champion Stuart Emery will return to the category at the second round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with ODYSSEY Battery at Lydden Hill next week, armed with a revised transmission in his title-winning Peugeot 206.

The Lydden Hill local had a difficult season in 2015 and suffered mechanical dramas on several occasions. He won once (at Pembrey) and finished sixth overall in the championship standings. “At the end of last year, we had a few reliability problems, most of which were caused by the gearbox. Missing gears damaged the engine and I was having to hold the car in gear a lot in the last two events,” said the 2014 champion.

“We decided the best route to go down was to fit a sequential gearbox. I’m not doing this because I wanted quicker lap times, I’m doing it to make the car more reliable and to protect the engine – but it will make the car quicker, which is important too.”

Emery missed the first round of British RX due to the installation of his new transmission, but will contest the rest of the season, starting at Lydden. “Fitting the gearbox and everything that goes with it has been much more work than I imagined. We’ve had to move the engine, but it has also given us the chance to give the car a refresh. Externally it may not look much different to last year, but the priority is to get it running right,” explained Emery.

“I always say this – I’m going to treat Lydden as a test day. But I know what will happen, it’s not going to be a test at all, I’m going there to try and win. Especially as it’s my local event and all the people that have helped me get the car done will be there – they’re the unsung heroes. Without them I couldn’t be racing this year, so I must thank Ben, Steve and Paul for all their help.”

Information on the Lydden Hill event can be found here.

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