Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Euro event could return
Motorsport
The European Rallycross Championship could return to Lydden Hill as a standalone event.
Bosses at the circuit held their final world championship meeting last month after series leaders signed a five-year deal with Silverstone to host the British round.
But promoters IMG say the European series, which runs alongside the world championship, could visit Lydden as a separate event.
Managing director Paul Bellamy said: “There are opportunities because we run the European championship, RX2, Touring Car and other categories.
“There is no reason why they may not be able to go back to Lydden as standalone categories.
“The European championship will always be part of the world weekend but there may be opportunities for one or two circuits to actually have a European-only event on a different weekend to the world championship.” The European Rallycross Championship – first won by John Taylor in 1973 – has an illustrious history with Lydden. The one-mile circuit was the European championship’s British venue from 1973 to 1996 and again from 2009 before the world series began in 2014.
The current European competition, which runs alongside the world championship at five meetings, has attracted 29 permanent drivers this season.
It is not yet known if the European championship will visit Lydden next year but bosses at the circuit and IMG are due to meet soon.
“We are still in regular contact with Lydden to see what the future does hold,” Bellamy added. “They did a fantastic job and it’s no reflection on them but we just couldn’t grow it (the world championship) there and we had to find somewhere else.
“By coming to Silverstone, everything lends itself to an event for 30,000 people in year one and 40,000 in year two.”
A record crowd of 25,000 people attended Lydden’s last world championship event, which was won by Norwegian Petter Solberg.
Circuit owner Pat Doran vowed to fight to get the World Rallycross Championship back and says he will consider hosting the European series.
The four- time British Rallycross champion submitted multi-million pound plans to update the venue in 2015 but a decision on the scheme is yet to be made.
Lydden Hill will host round six of the British Rallycross Championship on August Bank Holiday Monday.