Lydden Hill – the venue where rallycross was created in February 1967 – will play host to a first event of its kind in the UK this weekend (July 20-21), as the Lydden Legend Festival welcomes stars and cars from the rich history of both the rallycross and rallying worlds for demonstration runs, while the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy will also entertain with competitive action.
Not since the early 1990s have so many Group B rallycross machines taken to the start line at a UK rallycross venue, with MG Metro 6R4s, Peugeot 205 T16s, Ford RS200s, Audi Quattros, Lancia Delta S4s and more set to take part in as-period demonstration races.
Rallycross demos are also being held for some of the most revered cars in the discipline’s history in the 90s Supercar category, while the 1967-1993 class encompasses a wonderfully diverse range of two-wheel-drive machinery, with British and Irish cars and drivers joined by visitors from France, Austria and the USA.
Continuing the period celebration, rally machinery from across the rallying world are split into 2WD and 4WD classes, using Lydden Hill’s tarmac circuit as a stage, released at intervals, and like their rallycross cousins, include an incredible range of cars
Stars in action include some of the biggest names in the sport, the likes of French WRC legend Francois Delecour, x14 European Rallycross Champion Kenneth Hansen and the first female World Rally Champion Louise Aitken-Walker and many, many more.
The hugely-popular 5 Nations BRX Supercar category will provide the headline competitive action, the 600bhp, four-wheel-drive machines taking part in a double-header championship weekend, with guaranteed action.
Rising star Patrick O’Donovan, the reigning double British Rallycross Champion enters the event with the series lead, and having won the opening round of the European Championship in Sweden recently, but switches to his father’s Proton Iriz RX for this weekend’s event, while father Ollie, who sits second in the points, reverts to the Ford Fiesta that his son drove in the opening weekend, also at Lydden. Irish visitor John McCluskey sits third in the standings. With the competitive nature of the 2024 field, any one of the 13-strong entry can feature on the podium this weekend.
Joining legends of yesteryear, the stars of the future will also take part in the event in the Motorsport UK Junior Rallycross Championship, where drivers between 13 and 17-years-old race identical single-specification 1300cc Suzuki Swifts. Reigning title-winner Tyler McAlpin leads the standings thanks to three victories from four rounds, his run only spoiled by Tighe Wratten taking the win in round two. A much-improved Cayden Harris had a career-best performance at Mondello Park last time out and holds third in the points ahead of round five this weekend.
