FLAHERTY BRINGS 6R4 TO LYDDEN
Supercar competitor Mark Flaherty will drive an ex-lawrence Gibson MG Metro 6R4 in the next round of the British Rallycross Championship’s retro category when it visits Maasmechelen in Belgium on July 16/17.
Flaherty returned to rallycross in 2014 having not raced in the sport since the Group B era ended. He bought the 6R4 recently to take part in the demonstration races at the British round of the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill last weekend and will now join regular Retro Rallycross 6R4 campaigner Rob Gibson on the grid for at least the Belgian round and possibly more events this season.
“It’s been great fun, I last drove a Group B car 24 years ago so it’s been nice to get back into it,” said Flaherty. “It’s very different to the modern Supercar, there’s no electronics, anti-lag, launch control or anything like that, and no turbo either. I’m planning to do Retro Rallycross in Belgium, we’ve just been doing demos at Lydden but it will be really fun to get on track in Belgium and have a good race with Rob (Gibson).
“My son Mitchell will be racing in the RX150 class there and it will be fun to race the 6R4 around a traditional European Rallycross track.”
Since the inception of Retro Rallycross, a pair of period Group B cars have not raced in in the category at the same time although Ireland-based Polish driver Greg Kalinecki has made selected appearances in the past in a Lancia Delta.