Double champion Chrissy Palmer leads the RX150 Rallycross Championship into round two at Lydden Hill this weekend, but the grid of accomplished racers looking to topple Palmer from the top spot grows even strong for the Easter Bank Holiday event.
Palmer continued to be the dominant force of the RX150 category at Croft, the first event of the new season, but newcomer John Ward made the journey from Ireland to begin his RX150 career and pushed Palmer all the way in the final.
Ward was joined in the pursuit of the champion by Kirk Langley, who was the only driver other than Palmer to win an event in 2016, claiming the MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix support race.
With a half season now under his belt in the single-make, single-seater, split-surface buggies, Langley is closing on his first points scoring victory (the Grand Prix support race was non-championship) and returns to the scene of his rallycross debut last August this weekend. Meanwhile, Irishman Ward, who has twice won the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship in recent years, has never raced at the Kent venue.
Having finished second overall in the Championship last year, Stephen Jones missed round one but will be back in action at Lydden Hill, and for the rest of the year. With just a slight increase in pace, Jones can also fight for victories.
“It’s a great line-up of buggies for the event at Lydden this weekend and I really believe that John, Kirk and Stephen can pose a genuine threat to Chrissy. You can’t discount Brett either, and Jake made an impressive debut at Croft,” said RX150 Championship Promoter, Ollie O’Donovan.
“Certainly the fight for the podium will be very tight. It’s impossible to say who will finish the event inside the top three, and that’s how we want it to be. And, if it’s wet, then it really is anyone’s. I’m really looking forward to watching the action.”