Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, 16.04.10
Following a frustrating run in the first round of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship at Lydden two weeks ago, Scotsman Andy Scott is heading into next weekend’s second event at Knockhill (Sunday April 25) determined to land a good result and begin the chase of championship leader David Binks.

Scott (Dumfries) was quick at Lydden in the season opener but ended his day in the B final for the Supercar class and out of the British championship points. The result was frustrating, but Scott drew some solace from the fact that he was on the pace when his Peugeot 306 was running correctly, “The car has been rebuilt and updated during the winter but some of things we wanted to change in the car were not done because of delays with the supply of parts, and that led to a few problems at Lydden,” he explained. “There was no time to test the car before Lydden and it was four months since I'd last driven it, so I am pleased with the pace that’s there and I hope that the changes we will make before Knockhill will make a bit more difference to the car.

“I've never raced at Knockhill and I think we may be at a little bit of a power disadvantage, but I’m not going there to make up the numbers; I've made a big effort to have a competitive car and to do be fit myself – I lost 14kgs over the winter – and my aim is to be inside the top three of the championship at the end of the year. I've got some ground to make up and I'm going to Knockhill keener than ever to get a result,” said Scott.

The trawler operator has enjoyed a quick rise to prominence in Rallycross. First racing in the RX150 category that is on the British championship’s supporting programme, Scott switched to the Supercar class last August when he bought the Peugeot from Irishman Ollie O’Donovan who won the 2007 British championship in the car. The only Scotsman racing in the championship’s leading class, Scott has had his car updated over the winter. The Peugeot 306 is the most successful Rallycross car ever built; originally constructed by Will Gollop for the 1994 season, it has won championships with Gollop (1996 and ’97), Helmut Holfeld (’98) and O’Donovan (’07) and was also used to take event wins in Britain and Ireland by John McCluskey and George Tracey.

The championship leader after round one is David Binks (Newcastle upon Tyne) who has switched from a Mitsubishi Lancer to a Ford Fiesta ST Supercar for the 2010 season. “I had only done a few laps in the car before the first round so I’m absolutely delighted to be leading the championship. It worked out very well for me at Lydden and my plan for Knockhill is to carry on getting used to the Fiesta and to push a little bit harder each time I'm in the car at the same time as being careful to try and make sure we get through the event. I've got a useful lead in the championship but I know that the others will have sorted any problems they had at Lydden so it won't be easy,” said Binks.

Bogie set for Knockhill debut
Scottish Rally Champion David Bogie (Dumfries) will take part in his first Rallycross event at Knockhill on April 25 when he drives a Suzuki Swift in the British championship’s new Swift Sport Challenge (see below). Bogie (22) won the 2009 Scottish Rally Championship driving a Mitsubishi Lancer E9 and is one of Britain’s fastest rising young rally drivers. He has never before driven in Rallycross but is looking forward racing on home ground at Knockhill, “I've always had a bit of interest in Rallycross and thought it was something that I'd like to try so I'm very pleased to be racing in the Swift Sport Challenge, specially as the event is at Knockhill, competing in Scotland is always a bit special,” said Bogie who will have a busy weekend as the Rallycross follows on directly from Saturday’s second round of the MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the Pirelli Tour of Cumbria. “I've not driven in Rallycross before and won't have the chance to test the car before hand so it will be straight in the deep end on Sunday morning. I don't really have high hopes of a great result and I’m hoping that I can go to Knockhill and have a low stress, enjoyable day of motor sport because there will be plenty of pressure in the Pirelli on Saturday.”

Bogie has ground to make up in the rally series after suffering technical problems and a penalty for changing a punctured tyre in round one of the championship. Although the Swift class is just one event old, Bogie will not be the first rally star to feature; BTRDA champion Graham Middleton and Canadian rally champion Andrew Comrie-Picard drove Swifts in round one of the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship at Lydden, finishing third and sixth respectively.

Swift by name…
New in the British championship package this year is a one-make class for 1600cc Suzuki Swifts. Nine cars started in round one at Lydden over Easter weekend where the new class provided some of the best racing action of the event. The new Swift Sport Challenge has been created both to provide and easy and affordable way into top class Rallycross events for new competitors and to offer a step into the premier series from the clubmans classes. There is a wide range of ways in which drivers can enter the class, the traditional route of building your own car (the kit of parts to convert a base car costs £5000) all the way through to an ‘arrive and drive’ service. The first round of the championship was won by former SuperModified champion Dave Bellerby (Northallerton) with newcomer Darren Scott (Sittingbourne) finishing second in his first Rallycross event.

Full supporting programme
Events in the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship feature a full programme of supporting classes. the British championship section of the event contains the Supercar and SuperModified classes as well as the Swift Sport Challenge and RX150 championship for ‘off-road buggies’. Also on the programme is the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship which includes Stock Hatch, Minicross and Junior classes. With up to 50 races in a day, the events provide a feast of motor sport action.

Event details
Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, round two, Knockhill, Sunday April 25
On track from 0930

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