Constantine lands his biggest prize

BTRDA Rallycross: Croft

By Hal Ridge

Organiser: BTRDA When: October 28 Where: Croft Starters: 72. In his maiden season of motorsport, 14-year-old Luke Constantine completed an unbeaten run in the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship junior category at the Croft season finale and became the youngest winner of the BTRDA Gold Star rallycross title.

Ahead of the finale, Constantine was far from assured of the overall crown. Former MSA Super National champion Tony Lynch, racing in the Super Modified category, had won on six occasions. However, that was pending an appeal from the previous round at Blyton a fortnight earlier. If the Blyton result had stood (where Lynch has been declared the winner) and Lynch won the last round, he would have beaten more competitors than Constantine over the course of the year. With each drivers’ two worse scores dropped, Lynch would have lifted the overall crown.

But, in an appeal hearing at Croft, the Blyton win was returned to on-track victor Patrick Ryan, meaning that even though Lynch passed Mike Dresser in the Super Modified final to finish as top registered points scorer in the last race of the year, he missed out on the big trophy.

Dresser had beaten Lynch to Turn 1 in the final and followed the similar Lotus Exige of eventual winner Dave Bellerby for the opening lap. Bellerby took the advantage as Lynch headed Ryan, to complete the podium. That gave Lynch the Super Modified title.

Luke Constantine fended off older brother Tom to seal his ninth Junior win as Tom secured the Junior title with second. Their cousin James Constantine finished a lonely third.

In preparation for the final round of the British Rallycross Championship this weekend at Silverstone, Ollie O’donovan, the British RX points leader, used the Clubmans finale as a pre-event test and dominated to claim victory.

O’donovan led the Clubman 4x4 (Supercar) final throughout, while returning Supercar racers Tommy Graham and Derrick Jobb battled over second, Graham prevailing.

Dan Beattie claimed another Production 4x4 final victory in his Subaru Impreza from Swift Sport racer Dominic Flitney.

Citroen Saxo driver Dale Ford led Luke Mason in a close Production category encounter in the final to claim victory, with Andrew Smith completing the podium. Fourth was enough for Irishman Keith Kershaawe to win the class title.

In the Classics, pole starter Shaun Buckley made a poor start as Darren Grimston seized the advantage to claim victory at his home circuit ahead of Martin Peel.