GUY TURNS A CORNER WITH NEWLY DEVELOPED LOTUS FOR LYDDEN WIN
Peugeot-engined car takes Super Modified glory, Luke Constantine marches towards title
Organiser: LHMC/BTRDA When: September 28 Where: Lydden Hill, Kent Starters: 82
Guy Corner returned to the scene of the recent debut of his self-developed Lotus Exige at Lydden Hill and stormed to victory in the penultimate round of the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship contest.
Overcoming driveshaft problems on the Peugeot-engined supercharged Lotus on its debut in the British Championship at Lydden in August and then brake problems in the next round at Pembrey, Corner improved his pace through qualifying on his Clubmans outing at Lydden and was fastest in Q3.
He then made the best start in the A final to take the lead ahead of series regular Patrick Ryan and claim his first win with the rear-wheel-drive machine.
Ryan had been fastest in the first two qualifiers with his Vauxhall Nova, but was beaten away from the line by Corner in the final and had to settle for second. Meanwhile, Norwegian visitor Kenneth Kristiansen, one of several European competitors in the event, jumped the first attempt at the start and was put to the back of the grid. Making a brilliant launch in his Volvo 242, Kristiansen climbed back to third at the first corner, where he would remain to the finish, in front of local Super1600 driver Darren Scott, rearwheel-drive Vauxhall Corsa campaigner Alan Crockett and Belgian Raf Verheyen.
While Corner took the Supermodified win, it was another Yorkshireman, Luke Constantine, who moved a step closer to securing a second straight BTRDA rallycross Gold Star title.
The Junior driver was forced out of Q1 with an electrical problem with his Suzuki Swift while Ben Sayer claimed fastest times in Q1 and Q3 to take pole for the final. Constantine climbed back to second in qualifying, thanks in part to fastest time in Q2, then took the lead of the final and continued his incredible unbeaten run in the competitive junior category. Sayer pressured Constantine hard in the opening laps before taking his joker, but then got stuck in traffic and couldn’t return to the front of the order, while Charlie Titcombe took a best-yet finish in second. Sayer completed the podium.
Dale Ford returned to winning ways in the Production category after a difficult doubleheader weekend in the previous rounds at Pembrey. Fastest times in the opening two qualifiers secured Ford pole position for the A final with his Citroen Saxo, where he then claimed victory ahead of former champion John Lyne, who returned after a five-year absence. Rory Dening completed the podium ahead of Juozas Meskauskas, John Rook and Jonny Chrisp.
Mike Grant, son of rallycross Supercar stalwart Andy, drove his Ford Fiesta to victory in the Classic division ahead of Marc Jones’ Toyota MR2 and Vince Bristow’s BMW 318.
Davy Crockett debuted his Vauxhall Chevette but rolled in Q1 and took no further part. James Philips won the Production 4x4 final ahead of Paul Davis.
Results
A finals (all five laps)
Super Modified: 1 Guy Corner (Lotus Exige); 2 Patrick Ryan (Vauxhall Nova) +4.341s; 3 Kenneth Kristiansen (Volvo 242); 4 Darren Scott (Citroen C2); 5 Alan Crockett (Vauxhall Corsa); 6 Raf Verheyen
(BMW 1M).
Production: 1 Dale Ford (Citroen Saxo); 2 John Lyne (Citroen Saxo) +0.484s; 3 Rory Dening (Peugeot 106); 4 Juozas Meskauskas (Citroen C2); 5 John Rook (Peugeot 106); 6 Jonny Chrisp (Ford Ka).
Classic: 1 Michael Grant (Ford Fiesta); 2 Marc Jones (Toyota MR2) +8.293s; 3 Vincent Bristow (BMW 318); 4 Stan Bovill (Ford Escort); 5 David Ewin (Ford Fiesta); 6 Harry Vaulkard (Vauxhall Corsa).
Junior: 1 Luke Constantine (Suzuki Swift); 2 Charlie Titcombe (Suzuki Swift) +1.266s; 3 Ben Sayer (Suzuki Swift); 4 Alfie Porter (Suzuki Swift); 5 James Constantine (Suzuki Swift); 6 Abbie Mcguinness (Volkswagen Lupo).
Production 4x4: 1 James Phillips (Subaru Impreza); 2 Paul Davis (Subaru Impreza) +2.751; 3 Darren Clark (Nissan Pulsar); 4 Christopher Baker (Subaru Impreza).