HEATHCOTE SNATCHES BRX TITLE AND GP GLORY
British Rallycross Championship: Croft
Lap four of semi-final one in the last round of the British Rallycross Championship at Croft Circuit proved to be the pivotal moment in the outcome of the 2017 title race.
Five-time champion Julian Godfrey entered the season finale with a 10-point advantage over Supercar newcomer Nathan Heathcote and knew a top six finish in the final, even if Heathcote claimed his third win of the campaign, would be enough to secure his sixth crown.
Heathcote qualified on pole position for semi-final one after setting the fastest time in Q3 with an inspired tyre choice in worsening wet conditions, while Q1 and Q2 pacesetter Warren Scott spun.
Despite a slow start to his semi-final, Heathcote restored himself to first at the opening corner to take the lead. However, he ran wide at turn two, allowing Godfrey into the lead. For the following three laps, Godfrey pulled away, looking set to secure the front row grid position for the final that would keep him on course for the title.
But, on the fourth tour, Godfrey collected a course marker at the circuit’s hairpin and dropped to third. While he did finish to make the final, Heathcote won to seal pole position for the last bout, knowing he needed to win to stand any chance of claiming the biggest prize.
The final took place on Sunday morning with Godfrey starting on the third row of the grid. Heathcote led into the first corner, followed by LD Motorsports team-mate Scott. Having made it onto the back row of the grid as one of two reserve drivers when Mark Watson withdrew with a gearbox problem and Andy Grant’s Ford Focus refused to start, Pat Doran made a blinding start to climb to fourth after the first corner. He then cleared Oliver Bennett, the other man with a mathematical chance of claiming the title, for third. Doran then caught LDM team-mate Scott at the hairpin, but ran wide.
Godfrey had been seventh after the first corner, but climbed the order on lap one and made a move to pass Doran as the pair exited the loose section at the end of lap one. Minor side-to-side contact damaged the right-rear suspension on Godfrey’s Fiesta and, although he held on until the start of the loose section on the second tour, he half-spun and was collected by a number of cars.
As Heathcote powered away up front, Godfrey retired at the end of lap two. That meant Heathcote claimed the crown against the odds.
“My aim was to win, and then I had done everything I could do,” said the new champion. “My starts hadn’t been great all weekend, luckily I made a good one to make sure I was first at the first corner.
“I was coming down the back straight and I saw a tyre on the side, then I saw Julian’s car, so I knew just to calm down and I had a big enough lead to keep to the finish. I hoped I would have the pace this season but never thought I would come out as champion; it’s an awesome feeling.”
Behind, Scott dropped down the order and then retired later in the race, while Procter passed Bennett for second on the penultimate lap when Bennett ran wide out of the loose chicane.
Steve Hill scored a best result of the season in fourth and Jake Harris was fifth. Doran finished the race in sixth with a puncture.
Tristan Ovenden finished third in the Supernational category final to secure the two-wheel-drive title in his first attempt with his Renault Clio V6 as returning driver Ash Simpson claimed victory.
Ovenden’s brother Simon claimed the Swift Sport title that Tristan had previously won twice, while Junior Rallycross champion Tom Llewellin made his debut in the Swift Sport category and stunned with an impressive performance to win convincingly.