Home > Latest News > Round one, Lydden Hill
Current champion Ollie O'Donovan won the first round of the 2008 Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship at Lydden on Easter Monday. The two-day event witnessed mixed weather conditions, including snow on Sunday, before O'Donovan emerged as the winner with Steve Hill and Dermot Carnegie joining him on the podium. Supercar
Second fastest in the first and third heats, and fastest in Monday morning's second heat, O'Donovan qualified on pole for the Supercar A final and was joined on the front row of the grid by Liam and Pat Doran. Fast from the start of the event, Liam survived a crash in Sunday afternoon's wet first heat to post seventh place. His Ford RS200 was patched up for the second day and young driver, who celebrated his 21st birthday on the eve of the event, claimed third fastest time in the second heat before being fastest in the third heat where he also set FTD at 2m43.012s.
Pat Doran had been fastest in the first heat but struggled in the second and third when gearbox problems struck his Fiesta ST and contributed to a brace of fifth fastest times.
The second row of the grid held newly crowned Irish champion Dermot Carnegie and Lawrence Gibson, the latter non-finishing his third heat after picking up a puncture. Mike Manning and Tommy Graham completed the A final qualifiers.
Pole for the B final was held by Steve Hill who managed to record a first heat time despite a puncture and rear suspension damage. Hill's misery continued in the second heat when the transfer box in his Mitsubishi broke. His only trouble free run was in the third heat where he set fourth fastest time.
"Mad Mark" started alongside Hill with Andy Grant completing the front row. Dutchman Ron Snoeck lost time with a misfire in his VW Golf in the first heat, but was quicker on Monday as he continued to learn the track on his first visit to Lydden. Alongside Snoeck on the second row was David Binks who survived second heat scare when the brakes on his Mitsubishi Lancer failed. Chris Langley was the last qualifier, Steve Mundy not making it after a crash in the third heat ended his run in the event in which he had been third fastest in Sunday's first qualifier.
Hill took a comfortable win the B final, moving ahead of "Mad Mark" and progressing to the A final. Snoeck got past Grant to take third place with Langley and Binks completing the order.
Pat Doran lost out on his hard work and was sent to the back of the grid after making a jump start in the A final. The start was closely contested, Liam Doran and O'Donovan making contact in Chesson's Drift. O'Donovan ran wide and was swamped by the pack as Doran took the lead. The RS200 slowed on the approach to the Devils' Elbow, Doran unable to change gear after the gear lever broke off. Carnegie came to the fore from Manning, Gibson and Hill but the race was halted in the third lap when Pat Doran crashed after suspension, damaged in the first corner, failed.
The restarted race was a lot more straight forward. With a hasty repair to his gear lever in place, but unable to change gear smoothly, Liam Doran opted to start from the back of the grid. O'Donovan was now alone at the front and led from start to finish, Hill making quick progress from the back to reach second place where he held off the challenge of Carnegie and Gibson.
Graham completed his trouble free run in fifth place with Doran the last man home after Manning was forced to stop in the last lap with a clutch problem in his Ford Puma.
