Irish racer Ollie O’Donovan (Iver) became the fourth different winner in the 2016 MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with ODYSSEY Battery at Pembrey in South Wales (September 25), while second place was enough for Dan Rooke (Holsworthy) to become the Championship’s youngest ever champion.

O’Donovan took the lead at the first corner of the final and lead from lights-to-flag, but was made to work for his first victory of the year by Rooke, who tried everything he could to pass the Irish driver in the closing stages, the pair crossing the finish line just 0.006 seconds apart. Rooke’s second place, coupled with title-rival Julian Godfrey (Heathfeild) finishing sixth means that even if Godfrey takes maximum points from the final round and Rooke fails to score, the 19-year-old cannot be beaten. Rooke claims the ‘youngest ever’ title from Michael Shield, who was 23-years-old when he won the Championship in 1989.

“I’m absolutely over the moon to have won the championship,” said Rooke. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet to be honest, but give it a few days and I’m sure it will hit me. I’m absolutely buzzing! I’ve got so many people to thank for this year. At the start of the season we hoped to finish on the podium towards the end of the season, so to have won the championship, especially with one round to go is just amazing. It couldn’t have gone any better.” Rooke’s title, driving an LD Motorsports Citroen DS3 Supercar, is also the first for the French marque in the British Rallycross Championship’s 40-year history.

O’Donovan was equally thrilled to score his first win of the season. “It was very, very close at the finish,” he said. “When I got out of the first corner in front I was happy, but then I was wondering how quickly Dan would be able to hunt me down, because he had taken his joker. There was a lot of chat with Tony Bardy (engineer) on the radio, he got me into the joker lap at the right time and I just got out ahead of Dan but I had to make the car pretty wide to keep him behind. I’ve been unlucky with a lot of little problems this year, but I’m really happy with this win and I’m delighted for Dan to win the championship.”

Dave Bellerby (Northallerton) finished the final third, having started on pole position. The Ford Fiesta driver ran on his own in the latter stages of the final, three seconds behind the battle for the lead but almost ten seconds up the road from Steve Harris (Hillbridge), who finished fourth. “We had a good event,” said multiple rallycross champion, Bellerby. “Pole for the final was really good, I didn’t expect to be there. Then for some reason, and I don’t fully know why, the car wouldn’t turn into the first corner. I was fighting back all the way then instead of leading which had been the plan. I got a good start but it just didn’t turn, but nobody pushed me or anything. I’m trying to learn to left-foot braking and I think I messed the diffs up. Other than that it was a fairly faultless weekend.”

Steve Hill (Thame) continued his improved recent form and was involved in a battle with Harris and five-time champion Godfrey in the closing stages. Hill was fifth with Godfrey sixth. Andy Grant (Barnstaple) crossed the finish line in seventh, having joined Rooke, Kevin Procter (Northallerton) and Godfrey in taking his joker on the first lap.

Procter meanwhile had yet another event to forget. The former FIA European Rallycross Championship event winner started in the middle of the front row for the final, had a contact with an Armco barrier while trying to pass Harris mid-race and then retired with engine maladies on lap five.

MSA British Rallycross Championship results (Supercar): 1 Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Focus), 2 Dan Rooke (Citroen DS3), 3 Dave Bellerby (Ford Fiesta), 4 Steve Harris (Citroen DS3), 5 Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Evo), 6 Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta)

MSA British Rallycross Championship points (Supercar): 1 Dan Rooke 194, 2 Julian Godfrey 160, 3 Dave Bellerby 152, 4 Ollie O’Donovan 147, 5 Steve Harris 152, 6 Kevin Procter 118

Corner wins Supernational as Lynch hits problems

Peugeot 206 campaigner Guy Corner (Northallerton) won in the MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship ahead of local driver Mike Howlin (Haverfordwest) and Todd Crooks (Royston), the BMW Mini racer losing out on second place due to a last-lap puncture.

Paige Bellerby (Northallerton) finished the final fourth, despite spinning twice, the first occasion while battling for the lead with Corner. The result remains provisional. Gary Dixon (Lincoln) finished fifth in his familiar Vauxhall Astra, while Cumbrian racer David Ewin (Appleby) claimed sixth. Allan Tapscott (Umberleigh) ran third on lap one but was spun out of contention, while points leader Tony Lynch (Wigan) set fastest time in Q1 and Q2, but was slowed in Q3 by driveshaft issues which also caused retirement in the final.

MSA Supernational results: 1 Guy Corner (Peugeot 206), 2 Mike Howlin (Ford Fiesta), 3 Todd Crooks (BMW Mini), 4 Paige Bellerby (Lotus Exige), 5 Gary Dixon (Vauxhall Astra), 6 David Ewin (Ford Fiesta)

Jones dominates to extend Junior RX margin

Sam Jones (Bexley) dominated in the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship, setting fastest time in each of the qualifying races and winning the final to extend his slender margin at the head of the standings to six points over Tom Constantine (Richmond), who finished third. Matt Rainbow (Stafford) chased Jones throughout the final, while Constantine fought back from missing Q1 altogether due to drivetrain issues with his car and then taking a early joker lap in the final.

“That was a great day. It was really important for us to do well here for our championship hopes,” said Jones. “The gap coming here was three points and we’ve extended it to six, which is a nice cushion ahead of the final round. The car was faultless all weekend, we had quite a few problems at Lydden (round six) so to come here with all those rectified was great. We did well in all conditions today, which I’m really pleased about.”

Tom Middleton (Maldon) finished fourth, while newcomer Morgan Wroot (Doncaster) finished fifth on his second appearance. Cameron Hawkes (Stockton on Tees) retired from the event in Q1.

MSA Junior Rallycross Championship results: 1 Sam Jones, Matt Rainbow, 3 Tom Constantine, 4 Tom Middleton, 5 Morgan Wroot

Brown moves into Swift title contention with victory

Jack Brown (Barnsley) moved himself into contention for the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship ahead of the final round at Croft next month by claiming victory at Pembrey, as title protagonists Nathan Heathcote (Ashford) and Aiden Hills (Worthing) failed to make the final at Pembrey. Brown led the final from another title contender, 2016 newcomer Simon Ovenden (Canterbury), while British Drift Championship star Luke Woodham (Loudwater) scored a maiden rallycross podium in only his second event. Heathcote and Hills both retired from semi-final one with engine and drivetrain issues respectively.

Chrissy Palmer (Chichester) scored his seventh consecutive victory in the RX150 Rallycross Championship to secure his second category title in as many seasons. Palmer had to fight his way through the RX150 pack in the qualifying races, in difficult conditions, but led the final throughout. Jake Harris (Canewdon) ran second on the opening lap but was passed by Welsh rally star Osian Pryce (Machynlleth), racing the ODYSSEY Battery celebrity buggy, and Stephen Jones (Havant), the positions remaining the same to the finish.

Kris Hudson (Harrogate) led the BMW Mini Rallycross Championship throughout to strengthen his position at the head of the championship points table over brother Keifer Hudson (Harrogate), who finished third. Reigning category champion David Bell (Ferryhill) was second. Paul Coney (Dartford) won the Super1600 Rallycross Championship final ahead of championship leader Tristan Ovenden (Canterbury) to set up a fight for the title at the final round next month, while Robert Potyra won his second event in a row in the Hot Hatch Rallycross Championship. Tomasz Wielgosz in second and Michael Labedz (London) in third also finished on the podium for the second event in succession.

Swift Sport results: 1 Jack Brown, 2 Simon Ovenden, 3 Luke Woodham, 4 Chis Woollett, 5 Andrew Hawkes, 6 Ben Tuck

RX150 results: 1 Chrissy Palmer, 2 Osian Pryce, 3 Stephen Jones, 4 Jake Harris, 5 Krik Langley, 6 Mitchel Flaherty

BMW Mini results: 1 Kris Hudson, 2 David Bell, 3 Keifer Hudson, 4 Martin Hawkes, 5 Bradley Durdin, 6 Frankie Helliwell

Super1600 results: 1 Paul Coney (Vauxhall Corsa), 2 Tristan Ovenden (Suzuki Swift), 3 Phil Chicken (Citroen C2), 4 Craig Lomax (Citroen C2)

Hot Hatch results: 1 Robert Potyra (Citroen Saxo), 2 Tomasz Wielgosz (Peugeot 106), 3 Michael Labedz (Citroen Saxo), 4 Graham Rumsey (Citroen Saxo), 5 Mark Henry (Alfa Romeo 156)

Full results can be found here

Championship standings can be found here.

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