For Round One of the 2022 BRX, rallycross returns to Lydden

Rallycross returned with a bang on a sunny Easter Bank Holiday weekend, with BMW Mini driver Oliver Bennett claiming his first outright rallycross victory in the opening round of the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy presented by Cooper Tires at Lydden Hill on Saturday 16th April. The Bristol-based racer delighted the crowd by bringing his World Rallycross and Nitro Rallycross Mini Supercars and giving them exactly what they wanted. The Xite Energy Racing driver qualified first, then won the semi-final and final races to claim his first-ever overall victory.

Patrick O’Donovan, 18, proved on his debut weekend that he belongs on the Supercar grid by qualifying on the front row of the final in his Team RX Racing Ford Fiesta, then taking his mandatory joker on lap one before picking his way through the field to finish second ahead of Derek Tohill, the reigning 5 Nations BRX Champion, who suffered clutch issues with his PFCRX Ford Fiesta in the final stages.

Julian Godfrey, a six-time champion, placed fourth in his Ford Fiesta, ahead of 2007 champion Ollie O’Donovan’s spanking new Proton Iriz and Tristan Ovenden’s recognisable red and yellow Citroen DS3. The list of final finishers was completed by Roger Thomas and Steve Hill.

Meanwhile, in the Motorsport UK Supernational Rallycross Championship, defending champion Jason Bleasdale won all three qualifying sessions as well as the final in his Vauxhall VX220. Paige Bellerby’s Lotus Exige had a driveshaft issue in qualifying but finished second in the final, and Darren Bleasdale finished third in his first-ever Supernational race in his own Vauxhall VX220.

In the first round of the Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship, the trio of Max Langmaid, Will Ovenden, and Owen Robbins repeated their 1-2-3 finish from the 2021 standings. Langmaid took the lead right away and was the last to the joker, avoiding the fights in the back. On the preceding lap, Ovenden and Robins escaped a tight joker merge, with Ovenden gaining the lead.

With two qualifying victories and a triumph in the final, Steve Cozens’ blue and green Citroen AX won round one of the Retro Rallycross Championship. Rob Buckmaster’s Ford Fiesta Mk1 XR2 finished second, ahead of Terry Moore’s small, rocket-like Austin Mini. Despite previous misfortunes including failing to start Qualifier three, Jos Sterkens earned first place in the Super Retro class final with his vintage Ford Escort. Vince Bristow’s BMW E30 took first place in qualifying and currently leads the championship, finishing ahead of Nigel Davey’s antique Peugeot 205.

Although rallycross legend Dave Bellerby won round one of the BMW MINI Rallycross Championship, he failed to achieve a single fastest time in qualifying. However, he was in the front when it mattered, winning the first semi-final and then leading the final from the front to win. Tom Constantine and Craig Lomax, who was competing in the BMW Mini class for the first time, rounded out the podium. Following the revelation that his former racing class, the Super1600, will be phased out after the 2021 season, Lomax has switched to the minis.

Martin Hawkes, the defending champion in the All4 Mini class, won the first qualifying race but was forced to retire due to a clutch failure for the remainder of the event. David Bell took advantage of the situation to win the qualifying points and easily win the final, followed by Adrian Turner.

Luke Constantine won the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship final, evading the first corner action and charging to the front of the field. After being half-spun at turn one, Max Weatherley led the qualifying standings but finished second. James Constantine recovered to finish third. Catie Munnings, an Extreme E driver, made her Swift Sport rallycross debut but had to withdraw from the final.

Sebastian Eriksson, the champion of the World Rallycross Championship, won the RX150 Championship final ahead of emerging British rally star George Lepley, who both made guest appearances this weekend. Sam Sunderland, a two-time Dakar Rally winner, finished third in his first-ever four-wheel race.