OVENDEN AND O’DONOVAN SHARE THE GLORY
Tristan Ovenden and Patrick O’Donovan shared the winners’ spoils at Mondello Park as the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy returned to the Irish venue for the first time since 2017.
In round one on Saturday, Ovenden made the most of a good grid draw to win the opening session, before, as the title contenders heading into the event tripped over each other, he set another best time in Q2.
The triple Supernational rallycross champion was beaten to victory in the semi-finals by reigning champion Derek Tohill, but drama was to follow before the final even got underway. After the cars had lined up on the grid for the main event, Tohill jumped the lights. The pack got away at the second attempt, but with Irish competitor Darragh Morris left on the grid.
A red flag was thrown, and when the race was attempted to be restarted, Tohill again jumped the start due to his car creeping forward with a slipping clutch, and the double European Rallycross champion was disqualified.
After several more jump starts, the race finally got underway, and it was Ovenden who led from the front, flanked by the series’most successful driver, Julian Godfrey. The pair would finish with little separating their cars in a trouble-free run, while behind Steve Hill held third after the joker laps played out, but a minor mistake at the first corner later in the race allowed returning 2006 champion Christopher Evans to take the position, and claim an emphatic first podium in more than 12 years.
Points leader Patrick O’Donovan meanwhile had sustained a broken exhaust from an incident in the first attempt at running the race and was slowed with a lack of turbo boost. He finished eighth.
The 18-year-old bounced back on Sunday, on his maiden Supercar start in wet conditions, and set the fastest times in both qualifying runs. He then won his semi-final to take pole position for the final, but he didn’t make a good start in the main event.
Instead, starting from the outside of the grid, his father Ollie O’Donovan made the best launch to lead into Turn 1. Having reverted back to his Ford Focus while his new Proton Iriz undergoes further development work, 2007 titlewinner O’Donovan lead the race from the front, while behind, Patrick O’Donovan fended off the attentions of Tohill.
The pair maintained their track positions after the jokers had played out, leaving Ollie O’Donovan to retake the lead when he jokered later in the race. However, having climbed to second when Ovenden jokered on the final tour,
O’Donovan Jr overtook O’Donovan Sr in the run to the line to claim his third victory of the season. Ollie O’Donovan finished second, with Tohill third, before the Irishman then won the Superfinal for Irish Championship competitors.
Results
Organiser: LHMC/Mondello Park When: June 4-5 Where: Mondello Park Starters: 81
Round 5: 5 Nations BRX: 1 Tristan Ovenden (Citroen DS3) 3m57.006s; 2 Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta) +0.002s; 3 Christopher Evans (Citroen C4); 4 Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Evo); 5 Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Focus); 6 Michael Sellar (Citroen DS3); Supernational: Jason Bleasdale (Vauxhall VX220); Junior: Max Langmaid (Suzuki
Swift); Swift Sport: Luke Constantine (Suzuki Swift); BMW Mini: Dave Bellerby (BMW Mini); ALL4 Mini: David Bell (BMW Mini); RX150: Stephen Jones (RX150).
Round 6: 5 Nations BRX: 1 Patrick O’Donovan (Ford Fiesta) 4m09.617s; 2 O O’Donovan +3.313s; 3 Derek Tohill (Ford Fiesta); 4 Godfrey; 5 Evans; 6 Hill. Supernational: Peter McGarry (Volvo C30); Junior: Langmaid; Swift Sport: Constantine; BMW Mini: Bellerby; ALL4 Mini: Bell; RX150: James Williams (RX150).