BLEASDALE AND BELLERBY PUT ON AN EPIC SHOW
The saying goes that it only takes two to make a race, and in the seventh round of the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy at Glosso in Belgium, that couldn’t have been more true.
With the headline Supercar class among the categories skipping the round as part of the event and classes rotation in 2022, it was left to the supporting cast to provide the action, and those in attendance didn’t disappoint.
Supernational points leader Jason Bleasdale came out on top in the leading two-wheel-drive division, but he faced stiff opposition from a rejuvenated
Paige Bellerby, the latter making it to the first corner first on every occasion through qualifying and the final.
However, while the pair had come to blows at the joker lap merge in Q2 on a baking-hot Saturday afternoon, in the final the next day Bleasdale hassled Bellerby early on, took his joker first and when Bellerby responded on the next tour, the series leader snuck ahead to take the win. Bellerby, who struggled with suspension issues late in the weekend, chased home in second, recent improvements to her Lotus
Exige giving a sign of things to come for the rest of the year.
The Retro Rallycross Championship classes provided some of the best action of the weekend. In the up-to1600cc division, Austin Mini driver Terry Moore and multiple rallycross champion Tony Lynch traded places throughout the event in an typical ageold rallycross rear-wheel-drive vs front-wheel-drive encounter. Moore eventually came out on top having driven around the outside of Lynch at the final corner of the final’s opening tour.
In the Super Retro category, European Rallycross champion Jos Sterkens came out on top with the Ford Escort, but had only started on the second row of the grid, in part due to contact with Lancia Stratos driver John Cross in qualifying. The pair both made it to the main event however, and Cross led the final on lap with the best start, but while he struggled for pace, Sterkens took the advantage to claim a home win.
Dave Bellerby used all of his experience to beat the young chargers in the BMW Mini category, on the tightand-technical Glosso circuit. Starting from pole for much of the weekend, the multiple champion was able to force others wide at the first turn, then back the pack up into turn two to hold his advantage. Bradley Turner was best of the rest in second, shadowing Bellerby throughout the final, while Ben Sayer beat Tom Constantine in a battle for the final podium position.
Former World Rallycross Championship driver Guillaume De Ridder made his debut in the RX150 buggy category, but played second fiddle to reigning category champion Patrick O’Donovan, the current British RX Supercar standings leader, through most of qualifying. However, in the final De Ridder passed early leader O’Donovan with a strong joker strategy to take the win, as Luke Constantine finished third.
Results
Organiser: BORA/LHMC When: August 6-7
Where: Glosso, Belgium Starters: 25
Round 7: Supernational: 1 Jason Bleasdale (Vauxhall VX220); 2 Paige Bellerby (Lotus Exige; BMW Mini: Dave Bellerby (BMW Mini); ALL4 Mini: David Bell (BMW Mini); RX150: Guillaume De Ridder (RX150); Retro RX: Terry Moore (Austin Mini); Super Retro: Jos Sterkens (Ford Escort); ALL4 Mini: David Bell (BMW Mini).