Tony Lynch in action - Photo credit Tim Whittington

Tony Lynch will be hoping to take second place in the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship this weekend at the final round of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, which is taking place at the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire.

With rival Dave Bellerby already having secured the title for the second year in a row, Lynch goes into this round with a five point advantage on Adam Clark, both fighting to take second in the standings. If not for his bad luck, Lynch could still be in with a shout at the title. After winning the first round, his season seems to have gone downhill. He said: “Over the course of the season I’ve matched Dave [Bellerby] for pace, but due to bad luck I’ve not been able to beat him to the title.”

Lynch, who is based in Westhoughton, finished second in the championship last year and is looking to match that this time round. Despite his disappointment with a combination of bad luck and incidents that ultimately weren’t his fault, he has still managed to stay upbeat: “The boys have worked hard on the car to make sure it’s in perfect shape for the weekend and it’s now down to me to make sure we go into the off-season celebrating a strong finish.”

That the team have ‘worked hard’ is an understatement – Lucas Oils Team Geriatric are considered one of the hardest working teams in the paddock and are famous for their attention to detail; this was recognised when the team won the BRDA’s Best Presented Team award in 2008.

The Croft circuit is holding the British Rallycross Grand Prix on Sunday in addition to the last round of the Championship, which will be held on the Saturday. Tony Lynch is one of several drivers to take part in both, and is obviously excited about racing in a non-championship race: “The fact that it doesn’t count for the championship means we can go out and race without having to worry about points and positions and I think that the drivers will put on a great show for the fans.”

Second place in the championship is still unfamiliar territory to Lynch, however. He was the National MDA Champion in both 2005 and 2006 and took the MSA Stockhatch title for the second year on the trot, both in addition to his multiple Rallycross Championships.

theCheckeredFlag.co.uk has teamed up with Lydden Hill circuit to off you a pair of tickets to the Quaife MSA British Rally Cross Championship event taking place at the Kent circuit on Bank Holiday Monday 29 August 2011.

Marcus Gronholm will be making his British Rally Cross debut and will be up against Doran once again in this exciting event.

All you need to do is head to our Facebook page and answer the simple question to be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets to the event.

Terms and conditions
- Competition closes 22 August at 23:59.
- Winner will be drawn at random from the correct entries.

Round 5 – QUAIFE MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
29th August 2011
One of the major events visiting Lydden in 2011 - The British Rallycross Championship is a highlight for all spectators young and old.

Supercars – Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship
0-60Mph in 1.9 seconds!

Supercars is the top level of the sport and is where you will find the four-wheel drive cars for which Rallycross is best known. These are serious race cars; faster than a F1 to 60mph, the general rule of thumb is that if you need to ask how much it costs you probably can’t afford it!

Supernationals – MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship

Supernational is for two-wheel drive cars. There are few restrictions to how far these cars can be modified and tuned. There is a minimum weight limit of 800kg (including driver) and the engine must have the same number cylinders as the original car and remain in the original position.

Junior and Senior Swifts – Swift Sport Rallycross Championship & MSA Junior Rallycross Championship

Perfect starting block for Rallycross, the very popular Suzuki Swift one-make saloon class runs alongside the MSA British rallycross championship. Based on the three-door Suzuki Swift, cars in the new series use a 160bhp, 1600cc/16v engine that has tightly controlled regulations so that the cars are equal and it is driver ability that shows through. Junior racers are able to compete between the ages of 14-17. The main benefit of the junior swift car is the ability to make the transition to seniors once the maximum age of the junior driver has been reached by making a straight forward engine change from the 1300 to 1600 engine.

Hot Hatch – Hot Hatch Rallycross Championship

One of the new classes joining The British Championship in 2011. The Hot Hatch category is for 1600cc 16V production cars with model restricted to not more than 10 years old.

RX150 – RX150 Rallycross Championship

The British Championship package also includes the RX150 ‘off-road buggies’. With 150bhp and weighing less than 600kg, these 1000cc Honda-engined rear-wheel drive racers are fast! For more information visit www.rxracing.co.uk.

BMW Mini – BMW Mini Rallycross Championship

A new class for 2011, the one make ‘BMW Mini Challenge’ is a superb class that runs alongside the British Championship.

ADMISSION: Adult – £15 including camping on Sunday evening Under 12′s go free. Public gate opening times are: Monday 8am – 4pm.

“This is one of the biggest moments for me in my career,” said Deegan. “You know I’ve done a lot of things. I’ve raced supercross, did freestyle motocross, raced short course race trucks, and I’ve won in every formula. Rally my first year I came in swinging and I almost got a medal. The second year I got two silvers. I’m like we’re getting really close now and this is like a once a year deal for me, I show up and race Rally. These dudes are the real deal here. It’s not a gimmick. So I showed up this year prepared. I actually did a lot of testing and did a race before. I came in totally prepared, the Fiestas were super dialed.

“I actually got it set up to my liking and how I wanted to drive the car. I went out there and I’m just a dirt-biker you know. I went out there, transferred sports and laid it down. I got in the lead and just believed in myself and said alright it’s up to you right now to win this thing. So like I said you’ve got to set your goals, and I think that’s something we’re asking for people, willing to take chances, it’s what we’re advertising in the Octane Academy.

“For guys who have heart, set some goals and willing to take risks. What are you good at? I was good at dirt bikes and look at now, I’m winning rally races. So we’re going to give you the opportunity to shine and I kind of feel like that’s what I’ve been given here. I want to see other people have this opportunity too and I think that’s going to happen in the Octane Academy.”

Tanner Foust gained another medal to his X Games collection with his Silver to add to his 2011 haul of the Global RallyCross Championship.

“Today was big for Ford,” said Foust. “The 1-2-3 sweep was unexpected, the gold of course, but not the sweep. The 1-2 for ROCKSTAR was also pretty epic. It was a great race. Deegan just took off at the beginning and made a smart move when I followed Liam [Doran] wide. I was in fourth place coming out of turn 2, so I had a lot of work to do. I ended up coming back to second place and I got a flat with two and a half laps to go and maybe I held Gronholm up a little bit but I still ended up finishing second and Marcus third. It was pretty awesome.

“This particular race pretty much had everything in it. Eight cars might be a little much, but it had sliding and top speed stuff and jumping and stunt driving so it basically had all the things you are going to get in Octane Academy, which I noticed was all over the live telecast as I was watching the race on TV. So I think between watching this race and the commercials for Octane Academy I think we are going to get a huge number of videos which should make for an interesting next chapter.”

Gronholm would come away from X Games a little disapointed despite gaining a Bronze medal. “Today was very good for Ford, and for myself not so fantastic,” said Gronholm. “Even with the difficulties we had we are finally on the podium. The Fiesta was working very well in the final. We had a few issues during the test because the track is so hot for the gearboxes. As you see, three on the podium for Ford is good.”

Full X Games RallyCross Final report to follow on TCF today.

Doran who is currently contesting the European Rally Cross series went up against some of the biggest names in the sport including Tanner Foust who is currently leading the ERC series and is a 3 time X Games Gold medalist.

“It felt amazing putting it all out there,” an overjoyed Doran said.  “I went out and I started winning and when you get on a winning streak you go.”

As a result of beating Foust, Doran set up the final against  rally legend Marcus Gronholm which would see the top spot contested over the best of three races, Doran wouldn’t need the three races though and despite it being close at times took two “Easy” victories to claim the medal.

“My team is the best team in the world,” Doran said.  “The car was the same from the first run to the last run.  I owe it to everyone, and I have done it.”

“It was fun,” Gronholm said of his performance. “But the whole day I have not been happy with my driving so that was not so enjoyable.”

Doran's pace was too much for rally legend Marcus Gronholm

The Bronze medal race was won easily by David Higgins as despite Foust getting the jump on him from the start his car broke down just after, leaving him helplessly sitting on the sidelines as Higgins lapped the LA circuit.

“Words cannot describe it,” Higgins said  “The atmosphere, the whole thing.  There is no room for error anywhere with the brick walls and cars and everything. It is probably the most wild thing you can do in a car, but it is brilliant.”

You can enjoy the highlights of the final here…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hew3GRYzeBw

X Games Rally Car Racing Overview

Rally Car Racing features drivers racing modified street legal cars on closed sections of the city streets.  The goal in Rally Car Racing is to accumulate the lowest elapsed driving time while racing in two-car, head-to-head heats.  The three-quarter mile long Rally course, alongside the concrete cityscape of Los Angeles, includes two sections of raw dirt.  In each heat, drivers will complete two laps of the entire course, which must include one traditional Rally Joker lap.  The Joker lap forces drivers to launch their car over a 52-foot dirt-to-dirt gap jump.  Actual finish order determines advancement throughout the competition.

The car gets its name for its ability to be transformed ready to compete in stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana events, all of which Block regularly competes in as part of his busy schedule.

“Many people may not realize this, but despite the fundamental similarities between stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana, in order to be the best at each, you must have specific built vehicles,” said Block. “My WRC Fiesta just can’t do what my Gymkhana Fiesta can, and vice versa. But having to campaign three separate cars is a nightmare, so we built one car that can be transformed to suit each form of racing I do on the highest level.”

The chassis of the H.F.H.V. is based upon M-Sport’s current Ford Fiesta RS WRC, which Block uses in his World Rally Championship program. In order to produce the power needed for rallycross and gymkhana the original 1.6L engine has been replaced with a 2.0L unit, based on the powerplant used in the previous generation Ford Focus RS WRC. Though the engine makes the car ineligible for the WRC under its latest regulations, the addition of a 34mm restrictor will allow the car to compete in the Rally America series.

Different gear ratios and suspension setups are used for each of the three modes to suit each discipline of competition.

“The H.F.H.V. is the best of all worlds for me,” said Block. “The current WRC Fiesta is the greatest handling car I have driven, but it lacks the sheer grunt that the 2.0L engine in the WRC Focus created. The H.F.H.V. brings those two things together, and the result is a manic beast that is just too much fun to drive.”

Ken will race the H.F.H.V at Summer X Games 17 in Los Angeles this weekend. A video showing the transformations between each of the three modes can be seen below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paoPcFvsbrA

Block's Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle in its three modes

The 24-year-old was invited to take part in the event when competing in a Global Rallycross Championship event in June.

“You normally have to qualify for the X Games based on winning events,” said Doran. “But this year has been really difficult for me to make most of the GRC events in the U.S due to my commitment with the European Championship, but I was lucky enough to borrow a Subaru Impreza for the third Round at Pikes Peak International raceway, the organisers we obviously impressed and thought I could stir things up a bit”

Doran will use his 540bhp KHM Citroen C4, nicknamed the ‘Black Mamba’, for the event.

“I know the car and I have confidence in the team,” he said. “Taking the car to LA will be great for Citroen as the publicity that will surround the event will be immense due to the non-production of Citroens in the U.S.”

Doran was recently signed by Monster Energy, something that gives him further confidence. He will compete against fellow Monster-backed drivers Ken Block and Dave Mirra, both of whom are big stars across the pond.

“I can’t think of a better brand to support me at this event than Monster Energy, this event reflects everything that us as team represent. I have to go into this event confident that I can try and hold my position as a front runner. I know I can match Tanner Foust’s pace, I have beaten him on numerous occasions in the past but some of the other competitors are new to me. I have a win or go-home attitude”

The event, run and televised by ESPN, will be run over two days. The first day is the SuperRally competition, where the drivers will go head-to-head in a knockout format to determine the winner. The second day is rallycross, where a number of drivers race will against each other.

The Lincolnshire circuit will once again host the annual Night Race, where the racing will take place under floodlight. Team Geriatric driver Lynch made a winning start to 2011 with victory at Lydden Hill in the opening round.

In the gap between events, Lynch returned to Lydden Hill for the opening round of the European Rallycross Championship, where he took part in a demonstration with fellow Swift Sport Rallycross drivers in front of a crowd of over ten thousand.
 
Lynch, who took his maiden Suzuki win at the same track last year, said: “Winning last season at Blyton was fantastic although we got a bit of luck as the race was red-flagged and we won after the restart.  I’m keen to take another win this season but without needing a second chance, and I’m going to Blyton keen to try and repeat the performance I put in at Lydden Hill in round one.
 
“I know it won’t be easy as I think Dave Bellerby is still the quickest driver out there in the Suzukis, but we showed we can beat him at Lydden Hill and the whole team will be working hard to do it again this weekend.
 
“Leading the championship at this point in the year is nice, but we have to push hard to make sure we’re leading when it really matters at the end of the season.”

Thousands of fans from Britain and the continent flocked to the Kent circuit to witness the world’s finest rallycross drivers battling it out around the challenging one-mile track. However, the weekend belonged to Norwegian and reigning champion Isachsen, as he completed a lights to flag win in the Supercar A Final.

He said: “A perfect race and a perfect victory. I need to thank my team. They did a great job again, and now I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Britain’s hopes were held by Liam Doran and the Kent driver seemed to be on course for a famous win on home soil after topping the time sheets following heat two. Doran, who finished third in the championship last year, easily qualified for the A Final, but engine problems left him unable to live with the pace of Isachsen and he took the chequered flag in fourth. French drivers Marc Laboulle and Davy Jeanney secured second and third spot with impressive drives in their Citroens.

Doran said: “It’s points. It could have been better but it is points at the end of the day. The only person I see as my rival is Isachsen. It was a major doubt for us to be here after the accident in the British round but we got here.”

American stunt driver Tanner Foust failed to qualify for the A Final in his Ford Fiesta and was forced to settle for eighth place overall.

Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud (Renault Clio) claimed victory in the Super 1600 category, finishing ahead of Britain’s Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta) in second and Zdenek Cermak (Skoda Fabia) in third.

Norway completed a clean sweep of the honours with Lars Oivind Enerberg (Ford Fiesta) winning the Touring Car class. Roman Castoral finished second with Belgian Koen Pauwels in third spot.

Hopefully over the course of the year, I’ll be able to tell you all about a successful season in the Suzuki Swift Sport Championship, one of the series which races on the British Rallycross bill.

Last year was the first year for the Swift Sport Championship after it replaced the Stockhatch championship where I’ve had plenty of success in the past. Our first year went well despite the fact we only got our car on the eve of the opening round and we managed to win twice and finish second in the championship behind Dave Bellerby, who was a worthy champion after a great fight during the year.

When the season ended, I was lucky that all my sponsors were keen to stay involved for 2011. Pemberton Tyres, Sign-Tec, Delmo Salvage, Rye Motors, Procare, Enfield Street Bakery and Apollon Music all turned round and said they would continue to support me in the same way they have done for a few years now but even though that meant I was in a position to race again, I faced the problem of how to actually buy my car.

Last year I’d only rented the car but I didn’t want to do that again, and it was after a conversation with Lucas Oils – who were another company that have backed me in the past – that they told me to put together a proposal for one of their bosses who was coming over from the USA for a European drag racing event at Santa Pod.

I only had two days to put that proposal together before he arrived in the country but it all came up trumps. They came onboard as our major sponsor for the season and it made up the budget we needed to buy the car outright and push ahead with out plans.

Once I knew the budget was in place, I spoke to Peter Gywnne – the man who builds the cars – and told him I wanted to buy my car, then we set about putting our mark on the car over the winter. Last year, our car was built in a day before the season started and with it being a rented car, there was only so much we wanted to do with it. Once we’d bought it, we stripped it all down and it then went through a full rebuild so we could fully understand everything about it.

In a one-make championship where the racing is close, knowing the smallest details about the car can make a big difference. All the bodywork has been sorted and we plan to do the gearbox and the clutch before the opening round of the year although the engine doesn’t need touching despite the fact it’s done a season of racing already! In total, the team has put about 40 hours of work into the car and they do it all because they want to be out racing. There are only seven of us but we get together two nights a week to work on the car and make sure its always ready to race.

We all go out racing because we want to have fun and that is the key thing. A few members of the team have had spells of illness in recent years and in my own case, I was lucky that it wasn’t fatal. It was after that that we realised we had a second chance to go out racing. If I’m being honest, we didn’t go back into it to win, it was just a way to have some fun.

When I was rallying before I fell ill, I would beg and borrow to win but then I realised that it was more important to have fun. Luckily we’ve been able to have fun and be successful along the way, despite the fact our team has ended up with the name Team Geriatric because we’re not getting any younger!

Having fun is also key because it’s a chance for us to get away from the pressures of work, although it is quite difficult to juggle a full-time job with the racing. I’m lucky that my team are prepared to give up their time to work on the car during the week and then come away on weekends but there is a lot of running around to find parts from up and down the country.

One of those trips down South has been to purchase a donor car for the season ahead and we managed to find a Swift that had been involved in a road accident and had been written off by the insurance company. We plan to rebuild the car so we have a spare shell but we can also use it for shows and promotional purposes which will be good for sponsors and events like the Autosport Show, where we were lucky to have the car on display on the Lucas Oils stand.

So what about the season ahead? Well it’s going to be difficult because the Swift’s are in good shape going into 2011.

If I’m being honest, the series had a slow start last year because people were wary about committing to something that was new before they knew if it would be successful. Now however, I think the series could be the future of rallycross and it looks like we could be the biggest grid on the British Rallycross package. With standard parts and controlled mechanics, the racing is good and the fact that we are provided with a corporate hospitality tent and have a good TV package with Motors TV means the series appeals to sponsors.

Already, the grid is filling up and they are all drivers who have been successful elsewhere. Chris Mullen is a grass track champion, Johny Bean and Adam Clark have won in Stockhatch, Dave Bellerby is the defending champion – the list goes on.

The pressure is going to be on this year and with all the cars being so alike, there is no room for error. A small mistake or a bad start could be the difference between winning and losing and with the possibility that we might have to have an A and a B final, it could be a challenge to simply make it to the A final in the first place!

However, we’re going into the new season keen to have as much fun as we can and the ultimate goal is to go one better than last year and win the title. It won’t be easy, but we’ll give it a damn good go!

Until next time,

Tony

The 2010 season saw Lynch finish second in the standings, which was a remarkable effort considering the entire season came together at the last minute with little time to prepare.

“Last season, everything came together at the last minute, so we did a fantastic job to end the season second in the championship” he said, adding “The boys have worked hard on the car over the winter and it is fantastic to be here in January and know that everything is in place for the year ahead”.

Lynch’s “Team Geriatric” outfit have spent the close season working hard on the Suzuki Swift, to have it ready for the new season, and behind the scenes a major sponsor has been found in the form of Lucas Oils.

“No matter how hard we work on the car, we wouldn’t be preparing for the new season without the support of our sponsors and it is just reward for the boys that Lucas Oils have increased their involvement for 2011, and my aim will be to do them and the remainder of my loyal sponsors proud in the season ahead” said Lynch.

With one season’s experience in the Swift, and a solid second place behind Dave Bellerby to show for his efforts, Lynch is looking to hit the ground running and take the ultimate prize.

Speaking of his goal this season, Lynch said “With a year of experience in the Suzuki, I’m going into the new season full of confidence and I can’t wait for the first round to take place. Second was a good result last year, but this time, my only aim is to clinch the championship!”.

Lydden Hill hosts the opening round of the Suzuki Swift Sport Rallycross Championship, over the weekend of the 26th and 27th of March.

Lynch, from Westhoughton near Wigan, will again run with his Team Geriatric setup, but with major sponsorship from Lucas Oils for the entire 2011 season.

The Lucas Oils liveried Swift will take pride of place on the Lucas Oil stand at the Autosport International Show this weekend, and spectators with access to the Fifth Gear Live Action Arena will be able to see Lynch in action in a Peter Gwynne Motorsport run Suzuki Swift.

The show is at the NEC in Birmingham from the 13th to 16th January 2011, with the first two days restricted to trade visitors, and the doors being thrown open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

Speaking of being at the NEC this weekend, Lynch said “I’m really looking forward to appearing at the Autosport International Show this weekend and am excited about the prospect of launching our challenge on the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship.”

“The car looks fantastic in the new livery we will be revealing at the NEC and I’ve got to thank Lucas Oils and all my sponsors for making it happen”, added Lynch.

After battling throughout the 2010 with Dave Bellerby, Lynch will begin his 2011 rivalry before the season even gets underway, as Bellerby joins him in action at the show.

Speaking of his appearance at the show, and the presence of Bellerby, Lynch said “Being asked to appear in the Live Action Arena to represent British Rallycross is an honour and it’s a good chance to get one over on Dave before the season starts!”.

Joining Lucas Oils in backing Lynch’s running in the Swift Championship are Pemberton Tyres and Sign-Tec, Procare, Delmo Salvage, Rye Motors, Appollon Music, Enfield Street Bakery and Bloor Homes.

The event will be held at Blyton, this Saturday with gates opening at 10am.

There is an opportunity to enrol for test sessions, but this must be done so in advance. As with the previous open day, people can take this opportunity to get up close and personal with the machinery used in the championship, and it is a good spectacle for spectators and competitors alike.

To register an interest or find out more, contact Peter Gwynne Motorsport on 0844 545 8257, or by E-Mail at events@swiftrallycross.com

Isachsen starred throughout Saturday’s heats and final, showing why he is the double European Champion. He steered his Ford Focus to victory with a gap of over five seconds ahead of the young Finn, Heikkinen.

Heikkinen claimed second place in his SAAB 93 and, in doing so, became the youngest competitor to take to the U.S. Rallycross podium in the All Wheel Drive class.

Tanner Foust held the American pride on his shoulders, and managed to claim the final podium spot for Saturday.

The final weekend of the inaugural running of the U.S. Rallycross featured two events, one running on Saturday, and one on Sunday, and the latter provided as much action as the spectators had come to expect from the new series.

On his debut weekend in the U.S. Heikkinen followed up from his second place on Saturday with a stunning victory in Sunday’s event.

Tanner Foust went one better that the previous day with a second place finish, to boast the best finishing record in the 2010 series; First place in the first two rounds, followed up by a third and s second, meaning that he featured on the podium in every round.

Liam Doran battled problems throughout Saturday, but fought back to take the final place om the podium on Sunday.

Travis Pastrana signed off the current phase of his rally career with Subaru at the New Jersey based event, as he makes the move to run in NASCAR next year.

Saturday and Sunday will each host a round of the championship, meaning that the inaugural running of the series will comprise four rounds.

Organisers have opted to alter the format for rounds three and four, with a shorter configuration of the New Jersey Motorsports Park being used, which is hoped will provide a more intense and exciting spectacle.

Included in the new 0.6 mile long configuration is the “Lightbulb” section of the NJMP complex, which will add to the already hotly anticipated level of action on show.

Series regulars Travis Pastrana, Dave Mirra and Tanner Foust will all feature once again in New Jersey, and will be joined by Rhys Millen, Andrew Comrie-Picard and an extensive international entry.

Britain’s Liam Doran will once again make the journey to the U.S.A to compete in his Citroen C4, and he will be joined by fellow European Rallycross driver Frode Holte, and the 2010 series champion, Sverre Isachsen.

Despite having not competed in the U.S. Rallycross series so far in 2010, Isachsen will be familiar to a good portion of the spectators, after he took part in this years X Games.

Of the international entrants, Liam Doran took part in the second round held last month, but suffered with problems throughout. He will be looking to show the American fans what he is capable of, and take victory this weekend.

Sverre Isachsen will line-up in his Ford Focus STI, which he drove to the European crown this year, and he will also be looking to cement his place at the top of this racing discipline.

Norwegian Frode Holte will transport his Volvo C30 to the U.S.A, after finishing a credible seventh in the European standings this year.

Tanner Foust knows how strong the European contingent are, after competing with them in a selection of European events this year.

The timing of the final rounds of the U.S series coincides with the conclusion of the European season, which has given many of the leading drivers head over to America to compete, for a multitude of reasons.

Some are competing to further their presence for sponsors, to get extra competitive mileage under their belts, and some are there for the fun of rallycross, and the whole new experience the U.S. Series provides.

Speaking of the rise of the racing format in America Sverre Isachsen said “The development of Rallycross in the USA is very exciting, and I want to be a part of that development. Therefore I will send both my car and my trailer by boat to New York. From New York it’s just a short drive to the New Jersey Motorsports Park venue”.

In this, the first of a two-part interview with Liam, Ian Price asks the questions to find out Liam’s thoughts on the European Rallycross season, his desire to be European Champion, the logistical nightmare of shipping his trusty Citroen C4 ERC to New Jersey, and the weather.

Ian: You’ve just completed your first full season in the European Rallycross Championship, how do you feel the season has gone?
Liam: Very well. There has been a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but overall it has gone well. I could never had hoped for this result at the start of the year. I have already fulfilled my original ambitions, so I am raising them all the time.

Ian: It is known you want to stay with Kenneth Hansen’s Citroen setup for 2011, how is that looking?
Liam: Yes, I would love to stay with KHM for 2011. I want to become the European champion! It is not any closer yet but I would hope to try and secure a deal for support by the end of the year and all potentials sponsors budgets have been allocated.

Ian: What made you make the decision to head to America to compete in the American Rallycross?
Liam: Mainly to help with finding support for 2011. It will further my careers results, and therefore make me more attractive to sponsors. I would also like to compete in America alongside Europe next year so the first step is to have a go. I really need success in Round 3 to prove myself properly so let’s hope for some better luck.

Ian: How much of a job was it to get the car and equipment transported to the USA?
Liam: You would never believe me if I told you how hard it actually was. It is done now so we know for next time. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Ian: Stage rallying has gone down well in America, do you think Rallycross will go down well there too?
Liam: I think it will. It should as it fits perfectly with what the American public want to see. I hope it does for all our sakes as it will be great for the sport and its competitors.

Ian: An eventful ‘A Main’ final saw you crash on the first run, then you lined up at the back, and then drove to third place. How did you find the restarted final?
Liam: I was very disappointed with the event. If it wasn’t one problem, it was another. I never had a chance to drive the car really. The team did a great job of keeping me going. Sometimes these events happen, I just hope not again soon. The A Final was just a matter of finishing as I had broken suspension on the front, one slick tyre on the rear in the rain and I couldn’t see as the wipers broke. I know they are not real excuses but hey, I need to make myself feel better somehow.

Ian: Was there any thoughts you wouldn’t make the restart after the puncture?
Liam: Yes, after what happened I thought I was out! The team did a great job in getting me back out so a big thanks to them.

Ian: The weather seemed much like back home, how much did that affect the track?
Liam: Yes. It was a great shame that the weather did that. It made the track more technical and slower which meant the racing was not as fun to watch. I would have like it to stay dry as in the end I travelled 3500 miles to feel like I was at home.

Ian: How was the atmosphere at the New Jersey Motorsports Park?
Liam: It was good. It was good to meet all the drivers as some of them are celebrities to me. I hope there will be more competitors and more spectators for the next one but the weekend was a good base.

The second part of the interview will pose more questions to Liam, after he has once again headed to the New Jersey Motorsports Park, for the the third and final round of the U.S. Rallycross series, over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of November.

Last weekend’s season finale at Pembrey saw Lynch’s Team Geriatric fend off the three other teams who stood a chance of claiming the runner-up spot in the team’s standings, after Lynch had already secured the same place in the driver’s championship.

After suffering a spin in the first heat Lynch drove to fourth place, and then set about setting a storming pace in the second heat.

Lynch claimed victory in the heat, as well as setting the fastest lap time in the process, a performance which rewarded him with pole position for the final.

The Team Geriatric driver made a good start, despite contact from behind, and set about building an unassailable gap to second, and he closed out the race with victory.

Winning the round meant that second place in the team’s championship went to Team Geriatric, something Lynch had hoped for in the build up to the event, and something he wanted to achieve to say thank you to the team for their efforts throughout the year.

“Going into the weekend I only had one aim and that was to get a win for the boys because I knew that would mean we finished second in the teams championship”, said Lynch, adding ”Even though I had the spin in the first heat, I still set the fastest lap and then won the other heats to get pole so I knew we were in good shape for the final”.

Speaking of the incident at the start of the final, Lynch said “There was a bit of a scare when I got a hit from behind at the start, but after that I was able to pull away from the cars behind because”.

“Dave [Bellerby] had a bit of a gearbox problem and was holding the others up. That gave me an advantage I wasn’t going to give up and it’s a brilliant way to end the year with my second win and second in both championships”, added Lynch.

Lynch took the time to state his intentions for next year, after enjoying a solid run in the championship in 2010. He will continue in the Suzuki Swift Championship, and hopes to go one better next year, and take the title.

“Considering that we only got our car the day before the first round, we’ve had a great year and I’ve really enjoyed fighting against Dave [Bellerby] for the title”, said Lynch, and concluded, “The boys have been brilliant all season and I’m proud of the way we have performed as a team in our first year with the Suzuki. We’ll be back next year and I think we’ve shown as the year goes on that we’ll be a force to be reckoned with in 2011”.

As part of the sponsorship, Abarth will display an extensive range of it’s cars, as well as local dealer, Arnold Clark, providing an Abarth Punto Evo to the Superprix for use as the course car.

Formally labelled as the 2010 Fuchs Lubricants, Arnold Clark Abarth Rallycross Superprix, the event will be held at Knockhill on Sunday 24th October. It is the first time that the event has been held at Knockhill.

The Head of Abarth UK, Ivan Gibson, said “Abarth and Arnold Clark are delighted to be involved in this event as it allows us to once again get back to racing, which is at the heart of everything we do”, adding, “The Superprix is the traditional end to the rallycross season and we are excited to be a part of what will be a fantastic day’s sport”.

Gibson spoke of the new location for the Superprix, stating “It’s the first time that the event has been held at Knockhill, but the home of Scottish motorsport will provide a perfect setting for the leading competitors and we will be watching the action with interest as the day unfolds”.

The Ford Focus driver went to Pembrey embroiled in a three way battle for second place with David Binks and Andy Scott, and came out on top of the battle after winning the Supercar A final.

Scott had begun the weekend in determined fashion, but driveshaft problems halted his progress, leaving Binks and Grant to battle it out in the A final.

Grant battled with Pat Doran, and eventually moved past the champion to take second, before setting his sights on the leader Mike Manning, who retired due to a water pipe breakage on the final lap, handing the victory, and second place in the championship, to Grant.

Binks drove a solid A final, moving through the field to finish second, but it was to no avail, as Grant claimed the runner-up spot in the 2010 standings.

The Kent circuit was one of thirteen bidding to feature on the ten round calendar for next season.

Lydden Hill Race Circuit Managing Director Amy Doran was elated at the announcement, after the circuit successfully hosted the British round of the ERC in May of this year, and also held the ERC season opener during April of 2009.

“I’m delighted that we have been successful and that we will bring this major European event back to Kent again next year”, said Doran.

Doran took over as the Managing Director at Lydden Hill in 2008, and was key in having Lydden added to the ERC calendar in 2009, after an absence of some twelve years.

The feat to secure a place on the calendar, despite being one of the less experienced organisers, is down to the nature in which the circuit has been run since Doran took over, and to the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure a first class venue.

“This year was only the second time that we have organised the event and we were ranked third of the ten rounds in the championship, ahead of more experienced organisers. That’s a real boost both for my staff at Lydden Hill and the hundreds of volunteer officials who make an event of this stature happen”, said Doran of the efforts made by everyone involved.

Calendar for the 2011 FIA European Rallycross Championship

24/04 – 25/04 – Lydden Hill Race Circuit – Wootton – England
14/05 – 15/05 – Pista Automóvel de Montalegre – Montalegre – Portugal
21/05 – 22/05 – Circuit des Ducs – Essay – France
25/06 – 26/06 – Lånke Motorsenter – Stjørdal – Norway
02/07 – 03/07 – Höljesbanan – Höljes – Sweden
06/08 – 07/08 – Duivelsbergcircuit – Maasmechelen – Belgium
13/08 – 14/08 – Eurocircuit – Valkenswaard – Netherlands
03/09 – 04/09 – PS Racing Center – Greinbach – Austria
10/09 – 11/09 – Tor Słomczyn – Słomczyn – Poland
01/10 – 02/10 – Autodrom Česká Lípa – Sosnová – Czech Republic

The 2011 calendar is subject to ratification by the World Motorsport Council in November.

Pat Doran took the 2010 title last time out at Blyton, successfully defending his 2009 crown, but second place is still open to Andy Grant, Andy Scott and David Binks.

The rules of the British Rallycross Championship dictate that drivers take their best seven scores of the season, meaning they can discard one.

Grant and Scott will be able to do this, but Binks suffered a non-points scoring weekend earlier in the championship, which further adds to the excitement on show at Pembrey this weekend.

The change into the Ford Focus instead of he Escort Cosworth he had competed in for more than a decade at the start of the year has proven to be a successful move for Grant.

“I’ve had a brilliant year, better than I could really have hoped”, said Grant.

He is determined to give it his all at Pembrey, and further his affinity with the Focus.

“The Focus is completely different from the old Escort and every time I drive it I get a little bit more from the car. I’m second in the championship now and I really want to stay there so I’m going to give it everything in the final round”, added Grant.

Scott is also determined to secure second, despite still reflecting on a mistake at Lydden Hill which he is sure cost him the chance of featuring in a battle for first place this weekend, in what is his first full season in the Supercar class.

“I should have won at Lydden [round six], but I made a small mistake and got a puncture. That allowed Doran to win and cost me two places, if I’d won there, the championship would still be open and we’d going to the final round in with a chance of winning it”.

Lynch’s team, Team Geriatric, is currently in a four way battle for second place with Steve Hill Motorsport, Doran Motorsport and Scott Electrical, and he wants to secure second place and show his massive gratitude to his team with the result.

Entry in the series in the 2010 season was a last minute one, with the team working night-and-day to prepare the car for competition.

Of the battle for second, Lynch said “It was great to wrap up second place behind Dave Bellerby at Blyton, but its still all to play for for the team this weekend. The likes of Steve Hill Motorsport and Doran Motorsport are top teams and if we can secure second place in that kind of company then it will be a job well done”.

“Considering how late everything came together at the start of the year, this has been a great season for us and I want to go out at Pembrey and get a good result for the boys. They’ve done a brilliant job for me all season and without them, I wouldn’t even be in a position to go out and race”, added Lynch.

Concluding, Lynch said “I might be the one driving the car on track, but this is a team game so I want to do it for them”.

Foust won a restarted the ‘A Main’ ahead of Dave Mirra and Liam Doran.

The ‘A Main’ was restarted after Doran had crashed early on, after he suffered a puncture. The young Briton was able to line-up for the restart, but was forced to begin from the back of the grid.

Foust got the perfect start in the final, and drove well throughout. He absorbed the pressure from the chasing pack to secure his second win in as many Rallycross events in the U.S.A.

“It was chaos, but that’s what this sport’s about. It’s even more rewarding to come out on top when there’s so much going on. It was good fun, though!”, aid Foust after the win.

European regular Liam Doran in action on his US debut

Doran moved through the field well to secure a solid third place, ahead of fellow European entrant Jussi Pinomaki, who enjoyed an on-track battle with Foust, Mirra and Doran during the final.

Travis Pastrana failed to make the restart of the ‘A Main’ after a blown engine during the initial running.

The two-wheel drive class was Matthew Johnson.

Despite normally driving four-wheel drive Subarus in competition, Johnson elected to field his Ford Fairmont in the event.

Speaking after the victory, Johnson said “This was the first time I piloted a two-wheel-drive car in competition”.

Dillon Van Way finished second in the 2WD class, with Josh Wimpey third.

The next round of the U.S. Rallycross Championship runs again at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, during the weekend of the 6th and 7th of November.

The second round of the U.S. Rallycross Championship takes place in the Garden State, and welcomes back Travis Pastrana, Dave Mirra and Tanner Foust, who all took part in the first round at the end of August.

Joining them is Rhys Millen, who can combine a racing and rally background, ties together with a unique skill set due to his stunt-driver role in Hollywood.

Liam Doran has traveled to the U.S.A to compete in the event. The British driver finished third in the European Rallycross Championship this year, has transported his Citroen C4 to America for the event.

Doran’s fellow European, Jussi Pinomaki also travels to America, along with his Oslberg MSE Ford Fiesta machine.

Tanner Foust claimed victory in the inaugural U.S. Rallycross event in August, with Pastrana and Mirra second and third respectively.

Foust will be fully aware of the threat Liam Doran poses, having competed against him in a number of rounds of the 2010 European Rallycross Championship.

Competing in the Procter’s Luxury Coaches backed Ford Focus, Procter delivered a solid performance throughout the event, despite once-again enduring problems.

The week before Procter finished 12th place in the ERC event in Poland, an event in which he also endured problems throughout.

In the Czech Republic round, a fine ninth place in qualifying was backed-up with Procter taking victory in the first two heats, but a clash with Ludvug Hunsbedt in the third saw Procter slip into the “C” final, as opposed to the “B” final which looked almost certain.

The positive of featuring in the “C” final was that Procter started from the front row of the grid, and he started well, until clutch and differential problems brought a close to his progress.

Procter limped home in third place, behind rallycross stalwart Pat Doran, who had recently been crowned British Rallycross Champion for the second successive year.

Speaking after the event “It’s been a tough old day again, it’s just so competitive in this series and one minor problem really does hurt you. There were 30 Division 1 cars entered so to finish 13th isn’t too bad and right up until the ‘C’ Final; the car never missed a beat”.

Procter took the time out to thank everyone who has backed his challenge, “Everyone is desperate to succeed but I think we’ve done ourselves justice this season in finishing 11th in the Championship so thanks to my team and family for supporting me”.

Victory at Blyton also served as his third consecutive round victory in the 2010 installment of the championship.

Doran secured the championship title with one round remaining in the season, and speaking after the result, an obviously elated Doran said “I didn’t expect to keep the title this year because the British championship has been very competitive; there were five different winners in the first five events”.

He attributed his success to a clean run through the year, “I won it through consistency and reliability, Graham [Rodemark, his engineer] did a great job of preparing the car and it has been 100% reliable, all I had to do was sit in it a drive!”, added Doran.

The victory at Blyton came in stellar form, with victory in both heats, and then outright victory in the Superfinal, which he won from pole.

The Superfinal was once red-flagged, after Steve Hill rolled his Mitsubishi Lancer E9. Thankfully he was unhurt in the incident, and the Superfinal got underway once more.

Andy Scott led the charge to close down Doran, but the chase failed. Doran delivered a solid drive to claim victory in the event, and in-turn, the 2010 British Rallycross Championship.

In the Blyton standings, David Binks finished second, with Scott completing the podium positions on third.

He went through the entire meeting unbeaten, setting the fastest time in the first two heats, and claiming victory in the final. His times in the first two heats meant that he4 did not need to compete in the third heat.

Dave Bellerby took victory in the third heat, meaning he would line-up second on the grid for the final, ahead of Tony Lynch.

From the front of the grid Lawford made a perfect start and he managed to build up a significant gap over second placed Liam Doran, who in-turn had a comfortable gap over Graham Rodemark in third.

With none of the top three drivers able to catch the one in front, the status quo remained, and Lawford took the flag followed by Doran and Rodemark.

Earlier in the race, Bellerby and Lynch ran wide at the first corner, making contact with each other. The pair fell back, but were both able to continue, with Bellerby moving ahead of Lynch late on to claim eighth place, to gain more valuable points towards his championship assault.

Lawford’s victory came on the back of a disappointing previous round at Mallory Park when contact with Lynch saw him retire early on.

In terms of the championship standings, Dave Bellerby holds a commanding lead with 165-points, Lynch sits second with 133-points and Lawford is in third on 118-points.

Pastrana’s car almost flipped after contact with barriers on the first lap, and as a result of the incident the race was red-flagged.

As the final got underway for the second time, Pastrana was allowed to line-up at the rear of the pack. True grit saw him battle his way through to finish second behind eventual victor Foust

Speaking after his historic win, Foust was more than happy with how the event had gone.

“The American event was great!” said Foust.

Further showing his delight at the event, Foust added “I have gotten to drive some pretty cool events in the Ford Fiesta, but this is the most fun I have had yet in this car”.

Foust also took time out to praise the performance of, what many American’s class as ‘smaller cars’, such as the Ford Fiesta.

An enormous amount of power can be drawn from the power plants in the Rallycross machines, and of this Foust said “Then again that is really the opportunity we in RallyCar have is to help change the perception in this country of smaller cars like the Fiesta, cars that here are viewed as economy cars, but in the rest of the world are viewed as performance vehicles”.

The 2WD event was won by Josh Wimpey, who was competing in a 1987 Volkswagen Gti, a car which will be more than popular as the American Rallycross series heads back to New Jersey for the second round in October.

The event saw a total of 23 driver competing, and everyone had nothing but praise for the way the event ran, as well as the atmosphere generated by the enthusiastic spectators who had shown up to cheer on the drivers.

Travis Pastrana was outspoken with his thoughts of the atmosphere “I could literally hear the fans cheering from inside my car!”, said the Subaru Rally Team USA driver.

Further praise came from Andrew Comrie-Picard, who said “This is an excellent racing format and I see so many excited spectators”.

Comrie-Picard added “and the cool thing is seeing so many excited drivers. You could see it when Dave Mirra and I immediately caught up with each after our Heat race to discuss what happened out there!”.

Tanner Foust also spoke of his delight at the way the event had gone, “It’s great to see such great competition and fan support in the US right from the start,” said Foust.

After competing in selected events of the renown European Rallycross Championship, Foust also spoke of his desire to see more drivers competing, and hoped some of the European crews would venture over to the States.

“I can’t wait to see some more drivers out here in the next rounds; hopefully we’ll see some Europeans over here to give it a shot soon”, said Foust.

The reigning champion injured his back in the build up to the event, and looked certain to miss the Lydden Hill round.

If that had happened, he would have had to rely on a pair of extremely strong performances in the final two rounds of the 2010 season in order to successfully defend his title.

In doing so, Doran has moved into the lead of the championship standings, with 151-points to his name, compared to 141 of second placed Andy Grant, and third placed Andy Scott on 11-points.

The Superfinal brought bad luck for Grant, his Peugeot 306 suffered transmission problems on the second lap. He managed to finish, albeit last, a result which him lose ground in the championship to Doran.

Scott endured an torrid time in the Superfinal, as a puncture on the fourth lap scuppered his chances of a victory.

After seeing Scott and Grant fall foul of circumstance, Doran overcame his own problems to win the Superfinal and become the first driver in 2010 to claim victory twice.

Early into the race Doran suffered the scare of his throttle jamming open. He quickly turned the engine off and on, which luckily fixed the problem. From then on he worked his way through the field, passing the hapless Scott late on to take the victory.

Speaking of the uncertainty in the lead-up to the Lydden Hill round, Doran said “I’ve hurt my back before and it’s taken six weeks to fix so I didn’t think I’d be fit to race. But I felt better and better each day so I thought I’d give it a go.

Summing up his decision to compete, and of the perfect result, Doran added “I’m really pleased that I did [compete at Lydden Hill]”.

The Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship has two rounds to go in the 2010 season. The crews head to Blyton on September 12th, before the season finale at Pembrey on October 10th.

Doran has suffered a back injury, which has forced him out of what is classed as one of the iconic events of British Rallycross, the August Bank Holiday meeting.

It will come as a big blow, as Doran had boosted his chances of retaining his crown with a superb victory at Mallory Park earlier this month.

Nevertheless, the championship works on the basis of the best eight rounds worth of points through the season, meaning that if Doran can recover from the injury in good time, and compete in the remaining two rounds, then he still has a chance at the title.

Doran’s car will race at Lydden, but with son Liam at the wheel. Liam has spent the season competing in the European Rallycross Championship, and in doing so, became the first Brit to win a round in the series in some 18 years.

Speaking of his withdrawal from the Lydden Hill round, Pat Doran said “Obviously missing the Lydden event is not good for my championship position but I can’t compete as I am and the best thing to do is to miss this one and concentrate on being fit to race at Blyton in September. I’ll just have to be focused on trying to catch up whatever I lose by not racing at Lydden”.

The event at Estering, south-west of Hamburg, provided crews with some tough conditions for the weekend.

The qualifying heats were all run in dry conditions, and rain which had been forecast for later in the day, duly arrived early, having an instant effect on proceedings.

In the “A” final Doran started from second on the grid behind pole sitter Sverre Isachsen, but a first corner incident left both drivers in the barriers.

At the restart Doran’s Citroën C4 ERC didn’t hold up past the second corner.

Speaking of the incident Doran said “The engineers have not had a chance to look at the car yet, but I think something broke, or there was some damage left after the crash in the first start, when I braked for the second corner the car just spun and I was off the track”.

The youngster from Sittingbourne was clearly disappointed, and felt a lot more could have come from the weekend in Germany.

Concluding, Doran said “There was good chance to win here but when it rained it changed everything, it’s the first time I’ve driven the Citroën in the wet. My starts were not great, but I was up there the first time before I got pushed and then ended up in the barrier”.

With two rounds remaining in the 2010 European Rallycross Championships, things could not be closer at the top.

Isachsen leads the way on 124-points, with Kenneth Hansen in second on 104-points. A single point behind Hansen, Doran is tied for third with Michael Jernberg.