National racing gets going in earnest
Reigning Super1600 Rallycross champion Roberts Vitols flew under the radar through qualifying in the opening round of the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy at Lydden Hill.
Racing an LD Motorsports Citroen C4 as his prize drive for claiming the Super1600 crown last year, the Latvian achieved a best time of third overall in Q3 and finished third in the second semi-final.
But, thanks to an early joker on the opening lap of the final and a succession of fastest laps, Vitols found himself at the front of the order with two laps to run in the final. Supercar champion Mark Donnelly took the top qualifier position thanks to fastest times in Q2 and Q3 and won the first semi-final. But his final lasted only a few metres as he pulled off the circuit with technical problems having never properly left the startline.
Starting on the outside of the front row, Ollie O’Donovan made the best launch and stormed into the lead on lap one, chased by fellow frontrow starter Julian Godfrey, Tristan Ovenden and the returning Derek Tohill.
While Ovenden took his joker on the second tour,
Tohill lost time when Godfrey’s gearbox failed on the third lap and he was held up behind his ailing rival.
O’Donovan jokered on the fourth tour but, by that stage, Vitols had closed the gap to the leader. As Ford Fiesta driver O’Donovan exited the joker, he lay second.
Vitols held on for the final two tours to take a dream debut win while O’Donovan and Ovenden completed the podium. Tohill was fourth, despite a broken gear selector.
Northern Irish rally driver Connor McCloskey was on Vitols coattails early on but was slowed on his Supercar debut with an engine misfire and finished sixth in a race of attrition.
Another series returnee, Andy Scott, didn’t make the final, he was spun out of contention in the first semi-final after contact with O’Donovan.
Vauxhall VX220 driver Jason Bleasdale won the Supernational final after BMW M3 racer Slawomir Woloch was handed a fivesecond penalty while Owen Robbins claimed a maiden win in the Junior category final.
The UK’s first-ever electric rallycross race was held at the event which was run by former British Touring Car Championship racer Dan Welch. The second 5 Nations BRX round was held on Monday after MN went to press. The report will be in the June 10 issue.
Results
Supercar: 1 Roberts Vitols (Citroen C4) 4m24.830s; 2 Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Fiesta) +1.364s; 3 Tristan Ovenden (Citroen DS3); 4 Derek Tohill (Ford Fiesta); 5 Michael Sellar (Citroen DS3); 6 Connor McCloskey (Ford Focus). Supernational:
Jason Bleasdale (Vauxhall VX220). Junior: Owen Robbins (Suzuki Swift). Swift Sport: Luke Constantine. Super1600: Nick Snoeys (Ford Ka). BMW Mini: Dave Bellerby. ALL4Mini: David Bell. Retro 4WD: Andy Grant (Ford Focus). Super Retro: John Cross (Lancia Stratos). Retro: Terry Moore (Austin Mini). RX150: Patrick O’Donovan. Electro Rallycross: Dan Welch (Fiat 500e).