London-based Irishman Ollie O’Donovan won the fifth round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with the Shannon Group at Mondello Park to secure his first victory of the season and the first for his new Ford Fiesta Supercar.

Not only did O’Donovan claim victory in both the event’s final and Superfinal, but team mate Derek Tohill qualified on pole position and finished second after a close race between the Team RX Racing pair - double FIA European TouringCar Champion Tohill driving O’Donovan’s Ford Focus Supercar.

“To be first and second on the grid with my cars was pretty special, and to win at Mondello in the Fiesta was fantastic. I have to say it’s down to a lot of people, but Tony Bardy Motorsport have worked very hard for this, they are top class and that was proved by the pace Derek and I had in the final. I got a good clean start and got ahead of Derek but he was close to me all the time. It’s great that we both finished on the podium and to win the Superfinal for me was the icing on the cake,” said O’Donovan. “I’m pleased for Derek and his boys too, I’ve known him a long while now and never seen him smile so much.”

Both drivers had competed in the first of the two days at Mondello for round four of the championship, but neither got the run of the green, Tohill spinning while challenging for success in the B final while O’Donovan couldn’t find the rhythm on the Irish circuit. He finished fifth in the A final.

“I overdrove the car, the lap times were there but it was a bit of a struggle in the final. It would have been nice to get two wins - or two podiums - but the win makes up for any disappointment we had before that. The championship hasn’t gone away from us so we will be pushing really hard in the last three rounds of the season now. I’m hungry for more wins,” continued O’Donovan.

For Tohill, the Irish event was his first in a Supercar since the final round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Argentina last November and his first Supercar drive near his home in Dublin.

“I enjoyed driving the car so much, I’m delighted for Ollie to get the win he was after. We had a few little problems but we just got through them in the heats with the help of the boys and the Tony Bardy, who was brilliant. For Ollie to win and for me to be runner-up and it to be so close in the final. I’m really, really delighted,” said Tohill.

Also running under the Team RX Racing banner, Steve Hill finished fifth in the fifth round of the championship after a strong run and backed up the performance with fourth in the Superfinal. Geoffrey Dolan finished on the podium in round four in his Opel Astra, but was forced to retire on the second morning with transmission problems.

Mondello Result Round Four – Saturday 27 June

1 Julian Godfrey – Ford Fiesta (#1)

2 Kevin Procter – Ford Fiesta (#10)

3 Geoffrey Dolan – Opel Astra (#11)

4 Andy Grant – Ford Focus (#3)

5 Ollie O’Donovan – Ford Focus (#2)

6 Andy Scott – Peugeot 208 (#26)

7 Mark Flaherty – Ford Focus (#77)

8 Steve Hill – Mitsubishi Evo (#5)

Mondello Result Round Five – Sunday 28 June

1 Ollie O’Donovan – Ford Focus (#2)

2 Derek Tohill – Ford Focus (#66)

3 Julian Godfrey – Ford Fiesta (#1)

4 Kevin Procter – Ford Fiesta (#10)

5 Steve Hill – Mitsubishi Evo (#5)

6 Andy Grant – Ford Focus (#3)

7 Andy Scott – Peugeot 208 (#26)

8 Noel Greene – Mitsubishi Evo (#111)

Mondello Result Superfinal – Sunday 28 June

1 Ollie O’Donovan – Ford Focus (#2)

2 Kevin Procter – Ford Fiesta (#10)

3 Julian Godfrey – Ford Fiesta (#1)

4 Steve Hill – Mitsubishi Evo (#5)

5 Andy Grant – Ford Focus (#3)

6 Derek Tohill – Ford Focus (#66)

7 Willie Coyne – Vauxhall Corsa (#103)

8 Pearse Browne – BMW Compact (#105)

Full results for the MSA British Rallycross Championship can be found on the British championship website: www.rallycrossbrx.com

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