British Rallycross GP

[Barrie]

October 28th hosts the long awaited return of the rallycross GP to this country. Ive just been looking at the entry for the event thats being held at Croft. Entries include 35 to 40 supercars, leading the entry, European & Supercup champion Kenneth Hanson in his 700hp Citroen Xsara, Per Eklund will bring over his Pikes Peake Saab 93, Will Gollop debuting his Focus Zetec with power output of 750hp+ and a weight of only fraction over 1000kg. Other big names competing, Doran, Carnegie, Jernberg, Hundshedt, Pailier and Haffey. There will be a support event a 2wd inter-nation challenge, which will include the mighty Volvo supernational cars where the likes of Petter Solberg and Thomas Radstrom learnt there trade against the nibble British modifieds and the stylish Euro20000 cars driven in Holland and Belguim.

This event is a must for rallycross and rally fans.

[Kev Smith]

Barrie

it is on Sunday 27 Oct
but should be good

[ss_collins]

bring it back to kent, that what I say! there I just said it see.

[Gonfra]

I thought there was a rumour that Brands was preparing for some rallycross next season??

[ss_collins]

there was. but I thinks just a rumour

[Gonfra]

Octagon! Rumour? suppose that could be the case then

[429CJ]

Actually, where is forums for rallycross, truck racing and drag racing from these pages?

[dscwall]

where did you see entry for Croft? After last years event I'am reluctant to flog 150 miles up A1 for nothing.
Brands Hatch announced 2 yrs ago that they would revive their GP and then said it would cost too much to repair the track, this recent announcement I feel is just a spoiler. I would love the Croft event to succeed, but last year we were promised a lot and given very little.

[Barrie]

I got the entry list off rallycross photographer Tim Whittington. Last years event was to short notice for the europeans, which did spoil the meeting. Kenneth Hansen website confirms he will be there, and looking through some of the other websites they also confirm. Im driving from Colchester, I wouldnt be doing that if I wasnt sure the meeting would be a good one. As for Brands Hatch thats in the past, the owners would be to worried the rallycross machines would damage the circuit for there single seater spoilt brat furturnity, up yours Octagon.

[Peter S]

Its great to see top rallycross action back in england. With Gollop coming back it will raise the profile as it is what the sport needs. Hopefully he will do some events in europe which will re generate interest in others racing in the european championship. The Inter Nations cup will also be great as the likes of Urban Bergstrom and Lars Jonsson in there Volvo s40s from the super national series in sweden will provide spectacular viewing.

Any chance of posting the entry list?

[dscwall]

why is Rallycross so poor at promoting itself? I've been looking at the Croft Circiut and Rallycross UK websites for the last couple of weeks and no information is given.
Last year the meeting was plugged at a very wet National meeting at Blyton. Hanson,Gollop and Schanche were advertised as entering, and OK circumstances meant they never arrived, but the track broke up on the Saturday and the drivers threatened to go home, and the meeting did not justify the entry price.
It will be very interesting to see how the likes of Haffey and Carnegie stand up against the Europeans, providing they survive the National round the day before.
Top Rallycross action is in the UK,it's just that certain vested interests don't what you to know about it!

[Peter S]

There has been advertisements on ITV promoting the event, but most promotion is done through the internet on web sites these days and what is needed is a web site with all up to date information on it (rallycrossuk is ok but not kept that up to date). I would have thought the DDMC would have had more information on it, but its not the case. Although its good to see crash.net and racecar.co.uk publishing articles on it. Rallycross in europe is really big, if not bigger than ever. Kenneth Hansen, Ludvig Hunsbedt, Per Ekland, Michael Jernberg, Morgan ANtonsson, Jos Kuypers to name a few, will provide superb and thrilling action next week at croft. The problem is european rallycross doesnt get the publicity any more it deserves in the British motoring newspapers/magazines because there arent british drivers racing in it. The Dutch round of the european series was shown last week on skysports and just shows the level of quality and profesionalism in europe. ALthough Gollop, Doran and Haffey are more than good enough to take the fight to the europeans next weekend.

I would like to see the Group B (Rs200s and Metros) cars banned from rallycross in britian (there are only 3 of them!!)and the rules brought directly into line with europe. We are the only country that doesnt conform to the fia regs, and the spaceframe regs for supercars havent exactly worked.

Then maybe Britain can have a round of the european championship back.

Rallycross in my opinion is the best motorsport that exists and i am glad to see the gp back at croft and rallycross making strides back to where it belongs.

[Kev Smith]

entry list is on rallycross uk website

[Peter S]

What a weekend of rallycross. Great to see John Haffey win the grand prix. Superb final....especially when Doran and Hansen take each other out!! Neither of them was going to give an inch.

Full results and reports on www.rallyracing.nl of weekend action

[Barrie]

It was a great event have to agree. The Supercars were excellent, very competitive, closely matched cars. The highlight for me was the amazing Supernational Volvos, the disabled guy without the steering wheel had to be seen to be believed, great action from the mad Nordics. Vicky Butler-Hendersons not bad in the flesh either.

[serverbrainfailure]

mmmmmm... vvviiiccckkkyyy...!
It was an excellent meeting - easily the best event of the year

[Peter S]

Yeap completely agree!!

To me Hunsbedt was the star.....his car was at 45 degrees for most of the lap!! Even though he struggled, he was just plain unlucky.

The Grand Prix is supposed to be shown on channel 4 at 7.30am on december 7th.

[Guisbro Rod H]

In the Marshals Forum there is a similar thread on the subject of the British Rallycross GP.
Similar comments made regarding the disabled driver.
Hunsbedt past you at only 45°, it seemed more at Hawthorns / Post 3 / Chequers, huge shame he was immobile after his forced entry into the Clervaux gravel trap and resultant serious damage.
Shame RallyX is not called Rally-Racing, but I presume that has been covered previously.

[Peter S]

Yeah when the race was red flagged i thought he would get a second shot at getting to the a final. To have such a star eliminated at the B final was such a shame.....but 10 out of 10 for driving style. Even from the back of the A i wouldnt have counted against him winning........but Haffey would have took some catching! On Saturday in practice he was as equally spectacular.

Actually they did try to change the name to rallyracing about 5 years ago but the Fia voted against it and it stayed as rallycross.