The Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy visited the historic Glosso Circuit at Arendonk in Belgium over the weekend of August 6-7 where Jason Bleasdale took his Vauxhall VX220 to the top spot despite fierce competition from Paige Bellerby‘s Lotus Exige. Despite Bleasedale claiming pole position, Bellerby made the best start to lead on lap one, a position she held while under intense pressure from Bleasdale until the latter took his joker. Bellerby responded on the very next lap, but Bleasdale edged ahead to take the lead and the win.
There was no Supercar round at Glosso but other classes put on a great show. For instance, the ALL4 MINI Championship ran in the same race as the Supernational class, where David Bell beat Martin Hawkes to the finish line, the pair having swapped positions throughout the whole race.
The main BMW Mini Rallycross Championship gave the experienced rallycross driver Dave Bellerby another win by leading the final from lights to flag, fending off pressure from Bradley Turner. David Ellis made the best start in the final, but it was young driver Ben Sayer who ran third on the opening lap. He dropped to fourth behind Tom Constantine when he took his joker mid-race, but reclaimed the podium position after the joker laps played out, Sayer fending off pressure from Constantine to the finish line.
The Super Retro category delivered some of the best racing of the entire weekend and it was British driver John Cross, returning to the Glosso venue for the first time in 30 years, who took the lead at the start of the final in his epic Lancia Stratos. Pole-starter Ludo Hermans initially ran second, before retiring on the opening lap. Cross was then caught by the Belgian star Jos Sterkens, the pair came to blows during qualifying, and it was Sterkens who came out on top in the final on his drive to victory. Cross held onto second, fending off the close attentions of BMW E36 of Vincent Bristow to the finish.
Over in the Retro Rallycross category for under 1600cc machines, the Austin Mini of Terry Moore came out on top of a weekend-long battle with Tony Lynch‘s Toyota MR2 to claim the win. Simon Hart came home third in his vintage Ford Escort.
Finally, the RX150 Rallycross Championship gave us all the excitement we have come to expect from these tiny, yet powerful buggies. Former World Rallycross Championship driver and reigning FIA RX2e champion Guillaume De Ridder claimed victory in the final following a close battle with current 5 Nations BRX Supercar leader Patrick O’Donovan, the 18-year-old making a return to the class. O’Donovan led the final from pole, but after the joker laps played out it was De Ridder who came out in front. Former Junior RX champion and Swift Sport rallycross driver Luke Constantine finished third on his RX150 debut.
The next round of the 5 Nations British Rallycross Championship will be held at Pembrey Circuit in South Wales over the weekend of August 27-28.
