• Third-placed Kershaw retains championship lead
• Ambaston’s Steve Lloyd wins Trophy category
2008 BRITPART MSA BRITISH CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Hartnoll Farm, Tiverton – round 4: August 16th-17th, 2008
Bamber Bridge driver Dan Lofthouse recorded his first win of the season at Hartnoll Farm. Pic: Songasport.
Bamber Bridge driver Dan Lofthouse maintained his overnight lead and clinched a dramatic victory in the fourth round of the 2008 Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship (BCCC) at Hartnoll Farm, near Tiverton in Devon, on Sunday.
The LD4 Proto driver managed to complete the 11 timed runs over a tricky stage held in mixed conditions 20 seconds quicker than Broadbottom-based runner-up Martin Gould to record his first win of the season to follow up last year’s Baja GB National ‘A’ Rally success.
Huddersfield’s Richard Kershaw began the second day in third place and retained a similar position at the end to retain and extend his overall lead in the six-round championship.
Thirty-one of the original 40 starters reached the finish and Deeside’s Neil Davey claimed fourth position, albeit 44 seconds behind Kershaw’s Peugeot. These four were in a class of their own over the slippery and muddy stage and fifth-placed Tim Dilworth, from Holywell, managed to climb from 10th and finished over five minutes adrift of Davey after the latter’s problems on Saturday.
Ambaston’s Steve Lloyd continued his emphatic form in the Trophy category to extend his championship lead and take a fine sixth overall. Lloyd managed to climb above seventh-placed Stephen Smith and Mark Andrews over the final five runs on Sunday. Talybont’s Martin James finished ninth and second in the Trophy section and Darlington’s Graham Porter rounded off the top 10.
Lofthouse had headed into the final day’s six Safari runs with a 1m 05s lead over Broadbottom’s Martin Gould, despite the atrocious wet and slippery conditions on Saturday. Gould held a mere seven-second sway over championship leader Kershaw, who remained in striking distance for a third win of the season in his Peugeot Evo9.
Steering problems cost King’s Nordley’s Ian Rochelle any chance of taking a win and he retired after the second run, while Tim Dilworth plummeted to 10th overall after striking a wheel on a dry stone wall. The Holywell driver was nearly eight minutes off the leading Bamber Bridge-based driver.
Forty cars started the fourth round of the series and Neil Davey held fourth at the overnight halt, with Stephen Smith in fifth position and Chris Hammond rounding off the top six. Alcester’s Mark Andrews held seventh overall, a mere five seconds in front of Trophy pace-setter Steve Lloyd. The Ambaston driver headed into the final planned six runs in drier conditions on Sunday with a 39-second lead over Martin James.
Billericay’s Tim Hayday succumbed to problems after the first run and both Ian Bartram and Colin Gould were unable to continue after the first and fourth runs respectively.
There were several retirements on day two with Chris Hammond losing his overnight sixth position after the eighth run, Wellesbourne’s Dave Harlow retiring after run seven and Shaldon’s Frazer Williams’s challenge coming to an end after run six.
These retirements meant that Kegworth’s Ken Powell, Heswall’s Roland Marlow, Huntingdon’s class G2 pace-setter Paul Garner, Great Dunmow’s Greg McLeod and Farnham’s Ben Gott completed the top 15 and Rednal’s Richard Green, Clubman category winner Julian Read, Chesterfield’s Alan Kirkland, Stockton’s Peter Wood and Leeds-based Paul Myers rounded off the top 20.
Broadbottom’s Martin Gould finished second overall in his Matseratti. Pic: Songasport.
Hartnoll Farm – results (unofficial) BCCC
1. Dan Lofthouse (Bamber Bridge) Lofthouse Proto RD4 1h 06m 11s
2. Martin Gould (Broadbottom, Hyde) Matseratti 1h 06m 31s
3. Richard Kershaw (Huddersfield) Peugeot 206 Evo9 1h 08m 13s
4. Neil Davey (Deeside) GSR 206 Evo 1h 08m 57s
5. Tim Dilworth (Holywell) Peugeot 206 STi 1h 14m 23s
6. Steve Lloyd (Ambaston, Derby) Milner R4 1h 14m 51s
7. Stephen Smith (Hatton) JRG II Indy Spec 1h 16m 09s
8. Mark Andrews (Alcester) AT Special 206 1h 17m 14s
9. Martin James (Talybont) Land Rover Special 1h 19m 52s
10. Graham Porter (Darlington) Bowler Tomcat 1h 20m 42s, etc
Trophy
1. Steve Lloyd (Ambaston, Derby) Milner R4 1h 14m 51s
2. Martin James (Talybont) Land Rover Special 1h 19m 52s
3. Peter Wood (Stockton-on-Tees) Kap Bandit 1h 35m 01s
4. Paul Myers (Leeds) Britpart 100 1h 40m 19s
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- Neil Perkins, 2008 Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship -
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