Godfrey and O’Donovan share the spoils at Mondello Park double-header
Round 4 Report
Reigning Supercar Champion Julian Godfrey won the fourth round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with the Shannon Group at Mondello Park last weekend (27/28 June). On the first day of the Irish double-header, Godfrey in his Ford Fiesta took a lights-to-flag Supercar final victory – claiming his second win of 2015 in the process.
Kevin Procter chased Godfrey hard over the course of the race but had to settle for second, with Geoffrey Dolan claiming his first British rallycross podium in third. The B final winner Andy Grant finished fourth with local hero Ollie O’Donovan finishing fifth. Supercar Championship leader Andy Scott had a disappointing weekend by his normally high standards. After starting on pole position, the Albatec Racing driver spun in the first corner after contact but managed to recover to finish sixth. Supercar regulars Steve Hill and Mark Flaherty both retired from the final race.
Padrig Leeson won the joint SuperNational / Irish SuperModified A final. Wigan based driver Tony Lynch started from pole position and finished the highest placed British Championship runner in fourth position. Tomasz Wielgosz won the HotHatch / BMW Mini final, crossing the finish line side-by-side with David Bell.
Marc Scott started on pole for the RX150 final but, after a race long battle, it was Chrissy Palmer who came out on top to win. George Tracey Jnr made his rallycross return and took the final step on the podium. RTE television presenter John Kenny raced in the class and got progressively quicker throughout the event. Aiden Hills led the Suzuki Swift final on the opening lap and when all the tactical joker laps had been played it was Hills who crossed the line first, ahead of Jack Brown and Tristan Ovenden. Bradley Durdin won the Junior final with Irish drivers Brian Martyn and Jake Dooley second and third.
In the Retro Rallycross final it was Porsche 911 man Barry Stewart who claimed the spoils.
Round 5 Report
Following Julian Godfrey’s victory in round four of the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with the Shannon Group, Irishman Ollie O’Donovan claimed his first win of the season in round five on Sunday at Mondello Park.
O’Donovan won ahead of pole position man Derek Tohill, who competed in last year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship. Julian Godfrey had another strong run to third with Steve Hill having his best event of the year finishing fifth. Kevin Procter and Andy Scott both took their joker lap on lap one, Scott spinning out after contact and Procter recovered to finish fourth.
In the joint SuperNational/SuperModified category, Willie Coyne won with Don Shannon producing a storming drive to second with Pat Ryan in third. Paige Bellerby was the top British Championship runner in round five; she finished fourth and collected maximum championship points.
Super1600 driver Craig Lomax experienced numerous driveshaft problems throughout the two-day event but was able to qualify for the final in round five to take championship points home across the Irish Sea. Tomasz Weilgosz had won the joint BMW Mini / HotHatch class in round four after a close final with David Bell and in round five, Bell was last at the first corner but this time fought back to win.
Chrissy Palmer took his second RX150 victory of the season in round four after another close battle with double-champion Marc Scott, the positions though were reversed in round five, Scott taking the upper hand and victory. George Tracey Jnr finished third. Current MSA British Rally Champion Daniel McKenna was fast and spectacular on his rallycross debut and thoroughly enjoyed his rallycross foray.
In the Swift Sport category, Aiden Hills won in round four ahead of Jack Brown and championship leader Tristan Ovenden. Hills retired from an early heat race in round five with broken front suspension but made it into the A final and finished second – the positions had reversed from round four as Brown took his first Swift victory.
In the MSA Junior Swift category, Drew Bellerby claimed victory in round five after championship rival Bradley Durdin had won in round four. Together with Junior Swift drivers Sam Jones and Jennie Hawkes, Irish competitors Brian Martyn and Jake Dooley, the Junior category provided close racing throughout the weekend’s events.
The Retro Rallycross Challenge took a flavour of the past across the Irish Sea and it was Barry Stewart who again dominated in his Porsche 911. Retro regulars Ray Morgan and Lance Foster battled with David Aitkin all weekend, the Irishman driving an ex Tony Bardy / Norman Beggs Vauxhall Astra.
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