Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Lydden ready to host world’s best
Rallycross
Lydden Hill will host its last World Rallycross Championship event this weekend before the meeting moves to Silverstone.
Twenty-four 600bhp Supercars have entered round five of the championship, which will celebrate 50 years of the sport.
Series promoters IMG announced in January that the annual British round will switch to the Northamptonshire Formula 1 circuit from 2018.
Reigning champion Mattias Ekstrom – who leads the standings by three points from round four victor Johan Kristoffersson – heads the Supercar entry in his factorybacked Audi S1.
“I look forward to this year, it will be the last time at Lydden for a while so I will enjoy it as much as I can and try and have a good race,” Ekstrom said.
“I always love that place for many reasons – the layout of the track and respect for the British fans.
“I have always had a lot of good experiences going there so for me it’s a combination that makes me love it.”
Ekstrom beat double champion Petter Solberg to the Lydden victory last year, which was attended by an estimated 20,000 people.
Solberg, who won at Lydden in 2015, is third in the standings aboard his factory Volkswagen Polo GTI.
“The circuit at Lydden is good, I have always liked it and I’ve always been fast there,” Solberg said.
“I think there will be new track records there this year if it’s dry. I’m looking forward to driving there, it’s a fantastic, attacking track and the car we have is better than ever.”
Former British Touring Car champion Andrew Jordan will drive a Ford Fiesta, joining several wildcard entries alongside the 18 permanent drivers.
In the supporting classes, 13 rear-wheel-drive Touringcars
‘I always love that place for many reasons’
will share the paddock with 16 RX2 machines.
Devon’s Dan Rooke, who holds the RX2 championship lead with Frenchman Cyril Raymond, will be gunning for his first international victory.
Circuit bosses have also arranged several demonstrations featuring rallycross machines from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s – including Blean-based Will Gollop’s European title winning MG Metro 6R4 – to mark the sport’s 50th anniversary.
Action starts at 9.40am on Saturday and 10.30am on Sunday. Tickets cost £35 on Saturday or £40 on Sunday on the gate. Children 12 and under go free. Visit www. lyddenhill.co.uk for details.