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Perfect day for Doran
British Rallycross champion Pat Doran began the defence of his title in the best possible way by winning round one of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship at Lydden on Monday (April 17).
“It���s the perfect start and it���s been a brilliant day,” said Doran, “I had a little problem with the gearbox in the A final and again in the Superfinal but it didn���t make any difference in the end, I couldn���t have had a better start to the year.”
Doran (Milstead) didn���t look back after setting fastest time in the first qualifying heat. Second fastest time in the second heat was enough to assure the champion of pole position for the Supercar A final on a day when none of his rivals had a trouble free run.
Former champion Dermot Carnegie (Dublin) was fastest in the third heat but had been lucky to post second fastest time in the first heat where he had lost the use of fourth gear. Only sixth fastest in the second heat, Carnegie pulled a much needed result out of the bag in the third heat where he set fastest time. Completing the front row starters was Christopher Evans (Wicklow). The Opel Astra driver suffered differential problems in practice and the first heat but struck back in the second heat where he set fastest time. Evans was then forced to retire from the third heat when exhaust fumes leaked into the car.
It was Evans who chased Doran in the opening laps of the A final, his pursuit of the champion only curtailed when rising engine temperatures forced him to ease up and John McCluskey (Dublin) moved ahead. McCluskey cut into Doran���s lead and, helped by the fact that Doran was struggling to select fourth gear, closed on the leader and was just 0.5s adrift at the race end.
Evans held on to third place ahead of Carnegie and Andrew Jordan (Sutton Coldfield) who earned his place in the record books as the youngest ever Supercar racer and did so with a highly accomplished performance.
Doran took pole for the Superfinal in which he was again chased by Evans. the faulty gearshift cost Doran time in the third lap and allowed Evans close enough to make a serious challenge. Evans worked Doran hard for a lap before soaring engine temperatures again forced him to ease up. Doran was off the hook and on his way to the win while Evans managed to contain Carnegie and keep hold of second.
Phil Collard (Thundersley) posted a personal best fourth place finish and was best of the two-wheel drive SuperModified cars after Dave Bellerby (Northallerton) was forced to retire his A final winning Lotus Elise with one lap to run.
Michael Boak (Newcastle upon Tyne) took fifth place in his Audi TT, Bellerby classified sixth ahead of Jordan who suffered a driveshaft failure at the start but nursed his Ford Focus through four laps to secure championship points. McCluskey retired after two laps after his Citroen Xsara sustained a puncture.
Bellerby completely dominated the SuperModified category, setting fastest times in all three heats and then running away from the pack to record a clear victory in the A final.
Behind Bellerby there was a mighty battle as Mike Howlin (Haverfordwest), Boak and Mike Turpin (Hereford) disputed second place. Turpin eventually managed to wrest the place from? Howlin who was then also passed by Boak. The race was not yet run and Howlin fought back, eventually retaking the place from Boak after contact between the two in the last lap. The incident was later investigated by event officials who excluded Howlin from the results, so Boak took third place ahead of Collard, Allan Tapscott (Umberleigh) and class debutant Simon White (Yateley).
Established front runners Julian Godfrey (Heathfield) and Rodney Green (Bromley) ruled the roost in the Yokohama Stock Hatch category where Godfrey took the win. Godfrey secured pole for the A final with fastest times in the first and second qualifying heats. Green topped the third heats and pipped Godfrey to fastest time in class by chipping 0.08s off his rival���s best time.
In the final it was Godfrey who led from the start, Green running second all the way and eventually finishing two seconds behind Godfrey���s winning Peugeot 205 GTi. Tony Lynch (Burnley) chased Godfrey and Green home in third place and was just ahead of Steve Heppenstall (Blackburn) and Simon Horton (Clitheroe).
Harry Sherrard took a personal best seventh place finish with his Ford Fiesta XR2 ahead of Phil Chicken (Leeds). Liam Doran (Milstead) ran as high as third before retiring in the third lap after his Citroen Saxo picked up a puncture.
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