With three rounds of the series completed the championship is finely poised, Andy Grant (Barnstaple) two points ahead of defending champion Pat Doran (Winkleigh) with David Binks (Newcastle upon Tyne) a further nine points adrift. The Belgian event is a step into the unknown for almost all of the drivers in the British championship, but Doran has previously raced at the Duivelsbergcircuit (the Devil’s Hill Circuit) in European championship events and thus has experience and knowledge of the track that could give him a critical advantage.

Grant has risen to the top of the championship table with a great run through the first three events in his first event with the Ford Focus Supercar he bought at the start of the year to replace the Escort he raced for more than a decade. With second placed points finishes in rounds two and three, Grant leads the championship in what is turning out to be his best year in Rallycross.
The championship leader after round one, Binks dashed away from the Night Race that formed round three of the championship at Blyton (June 11) to get married and heads to Belgium for the next event knowing that he needs a high score to stay in the championship hunt. Binks was a top three qualifier in rounds two and three, but became involved in incidents at both events and lost valuable points. Also out of luck in the third round, where he tangled with Binks, round two two winner Andy Scott (Dumfries) is another driver chasing the pack to make up lost ground.
The event will be the second time this year that British and Belgian racers have shared an event, the second round of the Belgian championship having taken place together with the British season opener at Lydden Hill over Easter weekend.

Classes close
The four British championship classes will make the trip to Belgium and there are close battles in each category. The overall points battle is reversed in the Supercar class where Doran leads Grant. The SuperModified (two-wheel drive) class is led by Julian Godfrey (Heathfield) who, like Doran, holds what could be a decisive advantage in that he also has raced at Maasmechelen before. Welshman Mike Howlin (Haverfordwest) leads the pursuit of Godfrey and is currently 12 points adrift while Phil Chicken (Barnsley) is a further 17 points down in third place with his VW Golf.
The new for 2010 Suzuki Swift Sport Challenge is led by Dave Bellerby (Northallerton) who has notched up a win and two second places from the first three rounds. After a last minute rush to join the new championship, Tony Lynch (Wigan) has taken a couple of events to get his new Swift up to speed but gained his first win in the series in round three and is now 15 points behind Bellerby in second place. Ryan Lawford (Canterbury) placed third in round three despite concerns about the engine in his Swift and is third in the championship battle, seven points down on Lynch.
With two event wins to his credit already this year, RX150 champion Leo Forster currently appears to be on target to retain his title and has built a 26-point advantage at the top of the class, adding second place in round two to his first and third round victories. Tom Keet is the closest challenger to Forster while championship newcomer Steve Harris has made an immediate impression and holds third place, just two points down on Keet.

15 years ago…
The July 11 event will be the first time that the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship has ever appeared in Belgium, and only the second time in the championship’s 34 year history that it has ever ventured to the European mainland. In 1995 (July 23) the British championship staged an event in Holland at the Eurocircuit near Valkenswaard. The event turned out to play a pivotal role in the outcome of championship that year, Irishman Dermot Carnegie coming through to take the victory in Holland after a first corner incident eliminated John Haffey (Escort Cosworth) and Denis Biggerstaff (MG Metro 6R4). Carnegie went on to win the championship in his MG Metro 6R4…

Event details
Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, round four, Duivelsbergcircuit, Maasmechelen, Belgium, Sunday July 11
Racing from 1000
Gate Price – Adult €10, 12-16 year-olds €5, under 12s free
15km north of Maastricht on A2/E314 and N78 (GPS lat/long: 50.9/5.64)

First Channel 4 programmes scheduled
Broadcast times for the first three Channel 4 programmes covering the 2010 Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship have been published with the first programme, covering rounds one and two of the championship, to be aired this Sunday (July 4). The second and third programmes in the run will each feature a single event, the Blyton Night Race covered in the second show while the third will deal with the fourth round of the championship at Maasmechelen in Belgium.
The Channel 4 shows are the first time that the MSA British Rallycross Championship has had regular terrestrial television coverage in the UK for more than 20 years.
more information

Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship on Channel 4
Sunday July 4, 0730 (repeated July 6)
Sunday July 11, 0730 (repeated July 13)
Sunday July 18, 0730 (repeated July 20)

Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship
Spectator and general information website:
www.RallycrossUK.com

Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship 2010
Monday April 5 Lydden Hill
Sunday April 25 Knockhill
Saturday June 12 Blyton
Sunday July 11 Maasmechelen (B)
Sunday August 8 Mallory Park
Monday August 30 Lydden Hill
Sunday September 12 Mallory Park
Sunday October 10 Pembrey

http://www.rallycross.hu/d2lyddenhill2010.html?category_id=1

Enjoy!

The different championships and competitors raced together and as the event neared its climax it was British comptitor Kevin Procter (Northallerton) who led the way. After starting from pole position Procter won the Supercar A final, leading home Dutchman Jos Kuypers and Englishman Liam Doran (Sittingbourne), the latter having his first event in the KHM Citroën C4 that he will race in the European Rallycross Championship this year.

Kuypers chose not to start in the Superfinal, leaving Procter and Doran to be joined by reigning Belgian champion Jochen Coox and his compatriot Koen Pauwels. Binks started fifth on the grid, which was completed by the top three drivers from the British championship SuperModified (two-wheel drive) category, Julian Godfrey (Heathfield), Jamie Lea (Wrexham) and Mike Howlin (Haverfordwest).

Procter and Doran were side-by-side in the first corner of the Superfinal, Doran taking the lead by running a wide line in the first corner and going around the outside of Procter. The two remained evenly matched until the second lap when Procter took his turn in the ‘Joker Lap’ section. Closing quickly on Doran again in the late stages of the race, Procter may have challenged for the lead when Doran took the ‘Joker Lap’ but was denied his chance when a component failure in the driveline of his Ford Focus pitched the car into a spin and out of the race with a lap left to run. Procter’s problem left Doran with breathing space and he completed his first event as a Citroën driver by taking the win ahead of Pauwels.

In his first event with a fully competitive Supercar, Binks produced a perfect blend of speed and caution, avoiding the incidents of the day and bringing his new Ford Fiesta ST home in one piece and as the highest placed British championship competitor in third. The result means that Binks leads the scoring in the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship after one of the eight events and will head into what is effectively his ‘home’ event at Knockhill in Scotland later this month with a useful advantage over his rivals.

Results:

Superfinal (5.5 laps) 1 Liam Doran (Citroën C4 ERC) 4m02.019s; 2 Koen Pauwels (Ford Focus ST ERC) + 1.09s; 3 David Binks (Ford Fiesta ST ERC); 4 Edwin Geraerts (Ford Focus ERC); 5 Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta S1600); 6 Jamie Lea (Toyota MR2); 7 Mike Howlin (Ford Fiesta ST rwd); 8 Kevin Procter (Ford Focus ST ERC).

Championship after one of eight rounds:

1 Binks 20; 2 Godfrey 17; 3 Lea 15; 4 Howlin 13; 5 Steve Cozens (Renault ClioSport V6) 12; 6 Phil Chicken (VW Golf IV) 11.

Next event:

Knockhill April 25

Second and third places in the championship are still to be decided, 2008 series runner up Steve Hill (Aylesbury) currently on course for second place but needing a good finish at Mallory Park in his Mitsubishi Lancer E9 to secure the place. The challenge to Hill comes from 2008 champion Lawrence Gibson (Banbridge) whose MG Metro 6R4 is a firm favourite with fans. Liam Doran (Sittingbourne) can also deprive Hill of second place and make it a family one-two with his father at the top of the championship if he is able to add to the two events win achieved already this year.

Adding to the interest in the event is Kevin Procter (Northallerton) who has spent the year racing the European Rallycross Championship with his Ford Focus ST ERC and who has entered the Mallory Park British season closer. Procter has taken part in just one British championship event so far, placing third in round five at Lydden in August. “I enjoyed the British round I did at Lydden and am excited at the chance to race on the new track at Mallory Park, specially as there is live television as well,” said Procter.

BTRDA Clubmans title wide open

The overall title in the supporting BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship will be settled at Mallory Park on Sunday, at least five drivers still in with a shot at the crown.

Drivers from the championship three different classes are all eligible to win the overall crown and the series is currently led by Keifer Hudson (Harrogate) who is bidding to become the first Junior driver ever to win the overall title. With double points available in the final round, everything remains to be won and lost.

The event features a full programme of supporting races from the Bill Gwynne Rallyschool Junior Rallycross Championship and the RX150 ‘off-road buggies’.

The final round of the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship, the Mallory Park event is being run in association with the Mirror and is the first Rallycross event to take place at the track since 1979.

The event is being broadcast live on Motors TV which will provide a four-hour programme starting at 1200.

Monster Energy GB is joining the end-of-season showcase event at Mallory Park for its first involvement in Rallycross. Boasting Jenson Button and Valentino Rossi among its athletes, Monster Energy will offer race fans free samples of its energy drink during the event.

Event details

Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship, round eight (final), Sunday October 18

Racing starts at 1000

Adult admission £15, children under 12-years-old free

Mallory Park Circuit, Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire, LE9 7QE
Phone 01455 842931. MalloryPark.co.uk

Photos © Tim Whittington

The event which takes place at Croft Circuit (Darlington) on October 31st and November 1st, will see Payne make his Rallycross debut in a one off outing at the wheel of a Pailler Competition Division 1 specification Peugeot 207 cars that has been used in this seasons FIA European Rallycross Championship. Payne currently drives a Mitsubishi Lancer WRC in British Rallying and is confident of recording a strong result at the event.

Charlie Payne commented "Together with PSM Motorsport Ltd, we have put together a one off deal to take part in the 2009 Get Connected! SG Petch Rallycross Superprix, which we will see me drive Pailler Competitions Division 1 specification Peugeot 207. This is a top European car that will provide me with the best opportunity to win the event outright. We look forward to working with Jean Luc, Fabien and the team at Croft."
Payne started rallying back in the early eighties and won the Riponian Rally for the fifth time this season. This result with his Mitsubishi Lancer WRC added to a long list of rally victories over his 25 year career including multiple wins on the Kall Kwik and Christmas Stages Rally.

"I have had a very competitive rivalry with top British European Rallycross competitor Kevin Procter over the years in Rallying and I look forward to racing against him with the Peugeot 207. We beat Kevin on the Riponian Rally earlier this season, but I am sure he will be looking for a bit of payback on our home circuit at Croft Circuit. Double British Rallycross Open Champion ‘Mad Mark’ is another close friend and I am sure he will be out to beat me at the event." added Payne.

Payne will also compete in the final round of the 2009 Fuchs Lubricants Rallycross Open Championship which takes place on the opening day of the 2009 Get Connected! SG Petch Rallycross Superprix.

For further information on the 2009 Get Connected! SG Petch Rallycross Superprix please visit www.RallycrossSuperprix.co.uk

Event Details – 2009/10 Northern Ireland Rallycross Open Series – Event 1
Circuit: Nutts Corner is located on the B101 near Nutts Corner roundabout
Date: Sunday October 11th 2009
Timetable: On track action starts at 9.30am.
Website: www.NIRallycross.com

Event Details – 2009 Get Connected! SG Petch Rallycross Superprix & Fuchs Lubricants Rallycross Open Championship – Round 8 of 8
2009 Get Connected! SG Petch Rallycross Superprix
Circuit: Croft Circuit (Darlington). Croft Circuit is located near Darlington, just off the A167.
Date: October 31st & November 1st 2009
Timetable: On track action starts at 9.30am.
Website: www.RallycrossSuperprix.co.uk & www.RallycrossOpen.com

Video © http://www.youtube.com/user/MrRallycrossuk

Division 1

1. Per Eklund (S), SAAB 9-3 SportSedan T16 4×4
2. Atro Määttä (FIN), Ford Focus T16 4×4
3. Harri Arola (FIN), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
4. Jari Järvenpää (FIN), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8
5. Sami Pakkala (FIN), Honda Civic Type-R Mk2
6. Ilkka Kiviniemi (FIN), Toyota Corolla T16 4×4