Mcalpin, De Ridder and Bell star in 5 Nations BRX Dutch encounter
The legendary Valkenswaard circuit in the Netherlands hosted the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy for a glorious weekend of action, where Tyler Mcalpin gave his Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship title hopes a boost with victory.
The single-specification Suzuki Swift category for Junior RX racers produced some of the closest racing of the weekend as British, Belgian and Dutch competitors performed together across two days in stunning weather.
Mcalpin qualified on pole position for the nine-car final, and held the inside as the leading trio, made up of Mcalpin, Will Ovenden and Benjamin Bartlett went side-by-side into turn one, Bartlett getting ahead of series leader Ovenden to take second on the opening tour.
The positions switched around on the second lap, and remained to the finish, the battle costing Ovenden time and allowing Mcalpin to run in free air for a fourth victory of the campaign, with Ovenden maintaining the championship lead by a margin of three points after the penultimate round.
Tighe Wratten and Ryan Smith qualified fourth and fifth for the final and finished in the same positions, while Ben Crossley was sixth.
In the Motorsport UK Supernational Rallycross Championship, Belgian driver Dave Van Beers claimed the spoils with his Renault Clio.
RX150 Championship
Belgian rallycross stars Guilleume De Ridder and Viktor Vranckx joined the single-make RX150 Championship and set the pace through the weekend in the single-seater buggy machines. Starting from pole position with new rear tyres, De Ridder lost the lead to fast-starting reigning champion Ben Hardy in the opening corner, before immediately taking his joker lap. As the jokers played out, De Ridder moved back into the lead, while Hardy initially exited the joker second, but was overtaken by Vranckx for the runner-up spot before the race end. Hardy finished third. Stephen Jones continues to lead the points.
BMW Mini Rallycross Championship / ALL4 Rallycross Championship
Reigning ALL4 Mini champion David Bell delivered when it mattered in the Dutch round of the series, having finished second to reigning Junior RX Champion Max Langmaid after the qualifying heats. In the final, Bell made the best start, then defended hard in the closing stages after the joker laps had been taken to secure victory.
Leigh-Anne Sedgewick claimed maximum points in the BMW Mini category to move into second in the standings with a round to go.