Kentish Express Ashford & District
Ling proves he’s a force to be reckoned with
Rallycross
Kingsnorth’s Fred Ling produced a superb performance at Lydden Hill on Saturday when the circuit hosted a winter rallycross round for the first time since 2010.
The Ford Fiesta racer challenged three-time SuperNational champion Tristan Ovenden throughout the meeting, beating his rival’s time in the first qualifying race. A second-generation rallycrosser, Ling is following in his dad Dave’s footsteps and showed tremendous pace in the final, only losing out to Ovenden by 1.5sec.
Ling’s front-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta was beaten off the line by Ovenden’s rear-wheeldrive, mid-engined Renault Clio at the start of each race, but his strong lap times meant he was always a threat in the two-wheel-drive over 1,600cc class.
Ovenden, from Canterbury, won every event in the British Rallycross SuperNational season on his way to the 2019 title, and Ling was arguably the biggest threat he has faced this year.
Crucially, Ling was able to get to the finish in each race, having been hit by technical problems at previous meetings.
At the Clubmans championship round in September, the input shaft on the gearbox snapped, meaning he only had first gear. After the meeting, Ovenden said he was impressed with Ling’s pace and encouraged him to enter the full British championship next season.
Away from the competitive action on Saturday, the event included electric rallycross demonstrations, with two Polishbuilt Fiat 500s and a Ford Fiesta featuring during the course of the day.
In the supporting classes, Biddenden’s Lee Keeler finished fourth in the under 1,600cc class, driving a Citroen Saxo previously campaigned by Ling.
■ The second winter rallycross round will be held on Saturday, December 7.