BELLERBY JOINS BIG BRITISH LINE UP Rallycross campaigner to use Ford Fiesta Mk6 for UK assault

Experienced rallycross competitor Dave Bellerby will race an ex-dermot Carnegie Ford Fiesta Supercar in the British Rallycross Championship this season.

Bellerby, who has won rallycross titles in a range of two-wheel-drive categories, will debut the freshly rebuilt car at Croft this weekend, the opening round of the British series.

Tony Bardy Motorsport has fully rebuilt the car, which was originally built by five-time British champion Julian Godfrey for Carnegie to race in 2007.

“I did the deal with Tony [Bardy] for the car over a year ago, and we’re really hopeful we can come out fighting. I’m just hoping that age will rise above beauty this year,” said Bellerby, speaking of the amount of new young drivers that will race in Supercar this season.

“The intention is definitely to do the full championship. The car’s absolutely immaculate, I don’t know if I dare take it out really, it looks that nice.”

Bellerby has only twice previously raced a Supercar, both times at Croft, in a Per Eklund Saab 9-3 and Kevin Procter Ford Puma, but in neither outing was he able to complete the final due to technical problems.

“We’ll run the car ourselves this year,” he added. “Julian [Godfrey] has proved that the bodyshell still works. Obviously Julian has a bit more in the engine department, so I guess we’re a little bit of the underdogs. There are some very good drivers out there this season. Dan Rooke was very, very rapid in the Super National, he’ll be very good. Ollie O’donovan is very determined, and Kevin Procter will be racing at the first round too, which will be interesting.

“I’m in with the best field the British has seen for a long time. The young guys’ age and a little bit of inexperience might just allow them to make the little mistakes that I’m going to need them to make because they’re running a specification of car that we’re not.”