Wigan racer Tony Lynch achieved his aim of securing a top six finish in the end of season standings as the curtain came down on his 2015 MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with the Shannon Group campaign at Croft.

Westhoughton-based Tony made the trip to Yorkshire hoping to end his Super National class campaign on a high, with his Lucas Oil Team Geriatric outfit having made its return to the British championship this season after a year away.

With Croft having played host to the season opener at the start of the year, the final round of the campaign provided Tony with the opportunity to see how far his team has come over the course of 2015 – with an extensive development programme having been undertaken with his MINI Cooper S in recent months.

Perfect weather conditions would work against Tony, with the straight-line speed deficit to many of his rivals being apparent from the moment on-track action got underway.

The superior handling qualities of the MINI however would keep Tony in contention, and having qualified fifth on the grid for the final after the three qualifying heats, he managed to secure the same position in the final points scoring round of the campaign.

It means that Tony ends the year in a solid fifth in the class standings – just 14 points away from the top three despite the fact there is still more to come from his car as the ongoing development continues over the winter.

“Considering the fact that the track conditions were perfect, I think we can be happy with a fifth place finish at Croft,” he said. “If the weather had been damp then we could have pushed towards the podium, but we were losing out on the straights and even though the handling was as good as ever, it was too much to make up on the slower parts of the lap.

“Going into the weekend, I was hoping we could cement a top six championship finish so to take fifth place is really pleasing. It’s more than we hoped for at the start of the season because of the position we were in with the development of the car, and we know there is a lot more still to come.

“This is the first time Lucas Oil Team Geriatric has ended the season outside the top three in the standings but that isn’t a reflection on the work my boys have put in this season. As ever, they have done a fantastic job and I think they can end the year with their heads held high.

“Taking victory at Mondello Park was the undoubted highlight, but the way the team dealt with the gearbox issues we faced in the two events that followed was perhaps more pleasing for me as they never let their heads drop and showed real resilience to come back stronger.

“Now the season is over, we’ll enjoy the opportunity to relax for a short while before working to finalise our plans for 2016, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to take big steps forward next year with everything we have learned this year.”

See all news »