The MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with ODYSSEY Battery travels to Pembrey Circuit in South Wales for the third and fourth rounds of the season this weekend, where competitors and spectators will be treated to a brand new initiative at the venue (May 1 – 2).

Following extensive work by Pembrey Circuit, led by manager Phil Davies, Wales’ only rallycross circuit can now be run in both directions. The first day of competition will be run in the opposite direction (anti-clockwise) to the ‘normal’ route, before reverting back to the more familiar clockwise layout on Bank Holiday Monday this weekend.

18-year old Dan Rooke (Holsworthy) has shone in his inaugural season in the headline Supercar category and currently leads the MSA British Rallycross Championship. Second at round one to Kevin Procter (Northallerton) on his debut in the LD Motorsports Citroen DS3, reigning MSA Supernational Rallycross Champion Rooke then won the second round at Lydden Hill to move into the points lead.

Former FIA European Rallycross Championship event-winner Procter is four points behind Rooke in the title-race heading into the Pembrey double-header, driving his M-Sport Super2000 derived Ford Fiesta Supercar. 2007 MSA British Rallycross Champion Ollie O’Donovan (Iver) finished on the podium at round one and led the final in round two, before succumbing to turbocharger failure. He is third overall in his Tony Bardy Motorsport prepared Ford Focus. Albatec Racing driver James Grint (Kimpton) made his Supercar debut at Pembrey last season before embarking on a European Championship challenge with the Scottish squad. Now focusing on British RX this season, Grint’s knowledge of the circuit should benefit him this weekend, and confidence will be high off the back of his first Supercar podium finish at Lydden Hill.

Multiple rallycross champion Dave Bellerby (Northallerton) has graduated to Supercar this season in an ex-Dermot Carnegie Ford Fiesta and has shown good pace. He retired from the semi-finals at Lydden Hill when a rear wheel parted company with his car. The Yorkshireman will be hoping to fight back this weekend. Bellerby is joint fifth in the championship standings with Mark Flaherty (Wokingham), who finished second at Lydden Hill in a final of high attrition. Five-time MSA British Rallycross Champion Julian Godfrey (Heathfeild) has had a difficult start to the defence of his record-breaking run of titles, technical dramas at round one were compounded by missing his semi-final and round two. If Godfrey is to make up for lost ground in the title race, driving his Ford Fiesta Supercar, he must start that process this weekend.

The Power Maxed Racing team will return to action at Pembrey with former MSA British Touring Car Championship race-winner Dave Newsham (Inverness), having been forced to miss round two due to technical troubles, while Steve Hill (Thame) will also be hoping for a trouble-free weekend at Pembrey following mechanical dramas at the opening two rounds of the season. Also in action this weekend will be multiple British RX champion Pat Doran (Dolton), Devon racer Andy Grant (Barnstable), Subaru Impreza driver Simon Horton (Clitheroe), Citroen Xsara campaigner Mad Mark Watson (Barnard Castle) and LD Motorsports driver Steve Harris (Hillbridge).

Experienced rallycross racer Mike Howlin (Haverfordwest) is the most local of the drivers in the MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship at Pembrey this weekend, driving his rear-wheel drive Ford Fiesta. Paige Bellerby (Northallerton) leads the championship standings, on the back of two podium finishes in the opening two rounds, including victory at her local event at Croft. Former champion Stuart Emery (Faversham) won the second round of the season at Lydden Hill, but missed round one while the transmission in his Peugeot 206 was upgraded. Tony Lynch (Wigan) has moved to a Ford KA from the BMW Mini he used last year and is second overall following a second place finish at Lydden. Pembrey is Allan Tapscott’s (Umberleigh) local event, the Vauxhall Corsa driver travelling across the Severn Bridge from Devon.

The Pembrey double-header could prove crucial in the race to become the 2016 MSA Junior Rallycross Champion. The event marks the fourth and fifth rounds of the eight-event series for the Junior drivers, who competed in a double-header last time out at Lydden Hill, as they do not travel to Belgium with the rest of the British RX fraternity in July. Tom Constantine (Richmond) won the opening round of the championship at Croft, capitalising on a mistake by race-leader Sam Jones (Bexley). Jones struck back at Lydden Hill and scored a pair of victories to lead the championship standings heading into the Pembrey event by three points over Constantine, who twice finished second to Jones at Lydden. Tom Middleton (Maldon) is third in the championship points table thanks to a consistent opening three rounds of the year, with fellow newcomers Cameron Hawkes (Stockton on Tees) fourth and Easy Kart racer Matt Rainbow (Stafford) fifth.

In the supporting rallycross championships, two-time British Rally Champion and Welsh rally legend Dai Llewellin (Haverfordwest) will make his rallycross debut in the RX150 Rallycross Championship, alongside rally driving son Ben (Haverfordwest). 2015 champion Chrissy Palmer (Chichester) is so far unbeaten in the buggy category this season. Paul Coney (Dartford) will start his second event in the Super1600 Rallycross Championship driving a Vauxhall Corsa built by Harry Hockly Motorsport. Phil Chicken (Barnsley) leads the Super1600 standings. At the head of the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship table, the winners from the first two rounds of the year; Aidan Hills (Worthing) and Nathan Heathcote (Ashford) are tied on points, just five points ahead of rallycross newcomer Simon Ovenden (Canterbury).

Also on the bill for the weekend’s action is the Hot Hatch Rallycoss Championship, led by Polish driver Robert Potyra (Hounslow). Mark Henry (Granborough) made his first appearance in his unique Alfa Romeo 147 at Lydden Hill giving a different flavor to the category. Former Swift Sport racer Dale Cousins (Leicester) will make his first appearance in the BMW Mini Rallycross Championship, which is led by brothers Keifer and Kris Hudson (Harrogate), separated by just four points.

The Retro Rallycross Championship heralds the return of former FIA European Rallycross racer Rob Gibson (Crewe) at Pembrey, driving his iconic MG Metro 6R4. Ray Morgan (Hastings) won at both Croft and Lydden Hill and leads the championship standings in the first year that the Retro division has been a points-scoring category.

The full event entry list can be found of the MSA British Rallycross Championship website here.

Action gets underway at Pembrey on both Sunday May 1 and Sunday May 2 at 09.00am, with qualifying races taking place for each class before semi-finals and finals round out the day’s action. Admission to the circuit starts from £15. Children 14 and under (accompanied) are admitted free of charge.

Details of how to find Pembrey Circuit are available on the circuit’s website here.

Highlights of the MSA British Rallycross Championship are broadcast on BT Sport and Motors TV in 2016.

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