Heathcote keeps the pressure on leader Godfrey

British Rallycross Championship By Hal Ridge Organiser: BARC/ LHC When: September 23/24 Where: Pembrey, south Wales Starters: 65 (Saturday) and 63 (Sunday)

Julian Godfrey moved a significant step closer to claiming his sixth British Rallycross Championship title in seven years by finishing first and second in rounds seven and eight of the series at Pembrey last weekend.

With the Welsh circuit running in an unconventional anti-clockwise direction on Saturday, Godfrey started on pole for the final and was never headed to take his fourth win of the year.

Oliver Bennett qualified on the outside of the front row and ran second for much of the race but lost track position to Ollie O’donovan, who had started second, when the former took his joker on lap three.

The Ford Fiesta trio then maintained position to complete the podium, ahead of LD Motorsports driver Nathan Heathcote, who had experienced turbo problems in Q2 and missed Q3 altogether.

The round one winner only made it into the final when team-mate Warren Scott withdrew to allow him to take the start, to keep his title hopes alive. The gesture was rewarded on Sunday, as in wet and slippery conditions and running in the more traditional clockwise direction, Heathcote produced a performance worthy of a more experienced Supercar campaigner to seal his second win of the season and close the gap to Godfrey.

With just the final round at Croft remaining next month, and drivers unable to drop the Croft score from their total tally, Heathcote is 10 points behind his more experienced rival. Godfrey mounted a strong challenge to Heathcote’s victory ambition in the final on Sunday and was close enough to attempt a pass for the lead by the end of lap four, but dropped back again and finished second. Scott was third, he too making a mistake in the final and losing time, despite starting alongside his team-mate on the front row.

O’donovan meanwhile was sidelined on Sunday by a day-long trip to hospital, the former champion leaving the road in wet morning practice conditions. The resulting accident at Honda Curve damaged bones in his right hand, ribs and shoulder.

Tristan Ovenden moved into the lead of the Supernational championship by dominating in Wales, winning on both days in his Renault Clio V6 as season-long points leader Paige Bellerby was slowed by a spin and poor visibility in round eight.

Tom Llewellin claimed a brace in the Junior Rallycross division and secured the single-make class title with a round to go. Andreas Bakkerud raced an RX150 buggy in round eight and finished the final second, behind Chrissy Palmer. Results British Rallycross (6 laps) 1 Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta); 2 Oliver Bennett (Fiesta) +2.380s; 3 Ollie O’donovan (Fiesta). Supernational (6 laps) 1 Tristan Ovenden (Renault Clio); 2 Tony Lynch (Ford Ka); 3 Guy Corner (Peugeot 206). Junior (6 laps) 1 Tom Llewellin; 2 Sebastian Hoidalen +3.944s; 3 Ole Henry Steinsholt. Suzuki Swift (6 laps) 1 Simon Ovenden; 2 Rob Shield +3.298s; 3 Morgan Bailey. RX150 (6 laps) 1 John Ward; 2 Chrissy Palmer +2.171s; 3 Stephen Jones. Super1600/hot Hatch/mini (6 laps) 1 Darren Scott (Citroen C2); 2 Paul Coney (Vauxhall Corsa) +0.358s; 3 Phil Chicken (C2). Retro (4 laps) 1 Kevin Feeney (Ford Escort); 2 Roger Thomas (MG Metro 6R4) +2.046s; 3 Ray Morgan (Escort). Round 8 British Rallycross (6 laps) 1 Nathan Heathcote (Citroen DS3); 2 Godfrey +4.696s; 3 Warren Scott (Citroen DS3). Supernational (6 laps) 1 Ovenden; 2 Lynch +16.173s; 3 Allan Tapscott (Vauxhall Corsa). Junior (6 laps) 1 Llewellin; 2 Steinsholt +0.836s; 3 Hoidalen. Suzuki Swift (6 laps) 1 Ovenden; 2 Shield +1.268s; 3 Bailey. RX150 (6 laps) 1 Palmer; 2 Andreas Bakkerud +14.706s; 3 Jones. Super1600/hot Hatch/bmw (6 laps) 1 Coney; 2 Chicken +0.592s; 3 Scott. Retro (4 laps) 1 David Aiken (Vauxhall Nova); 2 Gary Dixon (Vauxhall Astra) +2.497s; 3 Lance Foster (Mini Clubman).