British Rallycross, Lydden Hill - Saturday 24th March

[tbtstt]

The 2012 British Rallycross Championship kicks off with Round 1 at Lydden Hill on Saturday 24th March. Its shaping up to be another good season as there are some old names making a return, plus the series will have three Imprezas running in 2012, so should make for some good viewing.

If you haven't been to Lydden before then its a great circuit to watch as you can pretty much see the whole circuit from any point on the track. Its just down the road from Dover; so to get there is only a quick blast down the M2 or M20 for most Surrey folk!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=Lydden+Hill,+Wootton,+Kent+CT4,+Unite d+Kingdom&ie=UTF8&geocode=FejXDAMdIJcSAA&split=0&s ll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=6.881357,14.941406&hq=&hnear=Lydden+ Hill,+Wootton,+Kent,+United+Kingdom&z=14

Racing kicks off at around half 9 and normally ends around 4 - half 4; even if its busy, you should get out of the circuit pretty quickly, so you haven't got a long crawl home afterwards.

Official site for the British Rallycross Championship can be found by clicking here: http://www.rallycrossuk.com/. Will post more details and the full entry list up as its released. In the meantime here's the re-run of the "A" Final from Round 1 last year to whet your appetite...



...and Liam Dorans little roll during the first attempt at the final...





I'm definately going, so if anyone fancies meeting at Clacketts and convoying down to Lydden then add your name to the thread!

[Steve_PPP]

Cheers for posting this up Steve, i've stickied it as Lyddens always a top day out

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Steve_PPP

Cheers for posting this up Steve, i've stickied it as Lyddens always a top day out

Cheers mate! Still waiting to see an entry list (probably won't be for a couple of weeks), but there are a lot of entrants confirmed for the 2012 season already, so it should be a good day out!

[Justin]

Any details of spectator ticket/prices etc? Couldn't find it on the link

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Justin

Any details of spectator ticket/prices etc? Couldn't find it on the link

Adults: £15
Kids under 12: Free!

Camping is available Saturday to Sunday, £5 per adult. (Though not much point if you are local, as there is no racing on Sunday!)

[Justin]

Many thanks! Is that on the gate or do you have to buy in advance?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Justin

Many thanks! Is that on the gate or do you have to buy in advance?

Thats on the gate. I think they do advance tickets for the European Rallycross, but the British Rallycross is on the gate only! (So if the weather is crap you can save your money and stay at home!)

Practice kicks off around 9, so I'm thinking Clacketts around 8 if anyone fancies meeting up and convoying down there.

[Justin]

cheers

Thinking of taking my son down there (its his 5th birthday weekend)

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Justin

cheers

Thinking of taking my son down there (its his 5th birthday weekend)

Well as long as your son hasn't got a problem with anti-lag I would think he'll have a good day! All the races are short, so its good racing for those spectators with shorter attention spans.

I don't know if you've been to Lydden before, but its a great circuit to spectate at (no matter where you stand trackside you can pretty much see everything) and the paddock/pits are open throughout the day, so you can have a nose around the cars as well.

[Justin]

Yep been before, I raced there last year. As you say a great venue for spectating

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Justin

Yep been before, I raced there last year. As you say a great venue for spectating

Ah, right, sorry: you probably know the circuit better than I do then!

[tbtstt]

Excuse the double post chaps, but I just noticed that the event page is now up on the Rallycross UK website:

RallycrossUK.com - Round 1, Lydden Hill

Confirms the pricing:

Adult: £15
Children under 12: free

And some other basic info. Entry forms are now up for drivers, so hopefully we'll see an entry list soon.

[Jas@JPP]

Think I'll make my way down to this, be nice to see the Steve Hill Motorsport Evo X in action after supplying so many parts for it.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Jas@JPP

Think I'll make my way down to this, be nice to see the Steve Hill Motorsport Evo X in action after supplying so many parts for it.

Hope he has a better year this year, his Evo X has looked really on the pace at times, but seems to be dogged with teething troubles.

[Stewby]

im there only 10mins from me happy days .great track

[Panda]

Keeps your eyes open in the swift cup for James knight-conney. His gonna do big things this year now his car is all straight and sorted. My little bro spanners for him.

[tbtstt]

Less than a fortnight to go! Official entry list is yet to go up, but there are already a number of Supercars unofficially confirmed to be there (including at least one Scoob) and the debut of Liam Dorans latest rallycross weapon:





I'm thinking Clacketts for 8, so let me know if you want to meet there and convoy down.

[Justin]

Do you know the typical format for the racing?

I.E. times it starts, when it ends etc. My issue is I might not be able to get there until 1pm, just wondering how much we'll see

cheers

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Justin

Do you know the typical format for the racing?

Yes indeed. Not sure how much you already know, so apologies if I'm stating the obvious:

In rallycross all drivers are eligible to take part in three heats, the grid order for which is totally random. Based on where the competitors finish in the heats they are awarded points: 1 for 1st, 2 for 2nd etc. The driver with the lowest points total after three heats will be allocated the best grid position in the finals. Obviously the heats are important as they determine starting position in the finals, but its the finals that determine championship points so thats where the hardest racing happens.

Depending on the number of cars in a given class there are multiple finals ("A", "B", "C"). "C" for the cars with the most points (i.e. those who had the lowest finish in the heats), with the winner of the "C" final going onto the back of the grid in the "B" final. The winner of the "B" final then goes to the back of the "A" final and the winner of the "A" final is the overall class winner on the day.

It can sound confusing, but it makes sense on the day!

Its a very rough timetable, but at Lydden the racing normally takes place around the following times:

09:30 ish - First round of heats.
11:00 ish - Second round of heats.
12:30 - 13:30 - Lunch.
13:30 ish - Third round of heats.
15:00 - Finals.

So if you are arriving at 1 you should have time to find a spot, watch the third round of heats and all the finals, which I would say is the best part of the day.

[Justin]

Brilliant, thanks

Never been to the Rallycross, I competed at a MSA sprint event which does the tarmac circuit.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Justin

Brilliant, thanks

Never been to the Rallycross, I competed at a MSA sprint event which does the tarmac circuit.

As you might have gathered I think its brilliant: it takes all my fave bits of rally and circuit racing and puts them together. You get a lot of short races in a day so, even if it is an uneventful race, its over very quickly! Plus short races means that drivers have to really go for it or end up last!

Was at the Masters of Dirt show in London earlier this week when I saw a familiar name on a car in the car park...





The new DS3 rallycross car!

Anyway, back on topic, the provisional entry list is now up:

http://www.rct-entry.com/entries_BC_20120324.php

78 cars thus far, including 10 supercars: I would expect the total to climb to around 90 cars by race day. Roll on next weekend!

[tbtstt]

Entry list has now exceeded 90 cars. I'll be at Clacketts at 8 with some of the Surrey posse, so feel free to join us if you want to convoy down.

[BIG"E"]

Cant make it to this one,


I will be at the Europeans, Bank Holiday Monday 9th April.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by BIG"E"

Cant make it to this one,

I will be at the Europeans, Bank Holiday Monday 9th April.

I wondered if you'd be down there this weekend. I'm planning to do both days of the ERC, so hopefully see you down there!

[Steve_PPP]

I can't make this one either i'm afraid Steve, stuff has cropped up

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Steve_PPP

I can't make this one either i'm afraid Steve, stuff has cropped up

What a bunch of cop outs!

No worries mate, hopefully catch up with you soon!

[Justin]

I will be there at approx 1pm. Looks like its going to be a dry day, where is the best place to park to avoid all the dust? Don't want my beaten up Landcruiser getting all dirty now!

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Justin

I will be there at approx 1pm. Looks like its going to be a dry day, where is the best place to park to avoid all the dust? Don't want my beaten up Landcruiser getting all dirty now!

Tart! I would say the best spot for avoiding dust is as far up the grass (i.e. as close to the entrance) as you can against the treeline that is on the right as you drive into the circuit. Failing that just park as high up the grass as you can to avoid the worst of it.

Parking trackside at the exit of Chessons Drift is probably the worst place for dust, so avoid that like the plague!

[D3MAN]

We are going to this, but won't make Clacketts, will try to park up the top if we can.
Always a good day out

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by D3MAN

We are going to this, but won't make Clacketts, will try to park up the top if we can.
Always a good day out

Was that you who convoyed the last bit and parked with us?

It was a cracking day out. Weather was perfect, with some good racing in the heats and some great racing in the Finals. The Supercar Final is always my highlight of the day and, yet again, it didn't disappoint.

Great to see a line of Scoobs parked up on the hill as well.

[D3MAN]

Yeah that was me, with my wife and daughter as well.
Enjoyed the drive down with you and as you say a great day out and some good racing

[Lazadude]

Originally Posted by D3MAN

Yeah that was me, with my wife and daughter as well.
Enjoyed the drive down with you and as you say a great day out and some good racing

Nice to meet you then mate

I was the Blue Hawk.

[Panda]

So was it any of you's boys doing donuts in the carpark. Heard it was a scobby and got a let's say talking to from Liam Doran.

[Justin]

Wasn't me!

Had a great day, my 5 yo son thought it was "awesome"

Lots of memorable action - tyres coming off, wheels coming off, a car rolling into the gravel trap, bonnet flying up and covering windscreen, loads of sideways action, top stuff.

The subarus didn't fair too well, my boy was in tears when Simon Horton came last in one of the heats! Don't worry he cheered up after an ice cream and a go on the bouncy castle

Trying to get a whole gang down for the European round

[Lazadude]

Originally Posted by Panda

So was it any of you's boys doing donuts in the carpark. Heard it was a scobby and got a let's say talking to from Liam Doran.

Nice to hear liam did something other than "waiting for a piece of electrical equipment" before going home.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Panda

So was it any of you's boys doing donuts in the carpark. Heard it was a scobby and got a let's say talking to from Liam Doran.

I certainly hope it wasn't one of our lot! It definately wasn't me, Graham or, as far as I know, Zab. An Evo and a blue Scoob (think it was a Hawk) came sliding up the hill past us as we were packing up, so I'd say they could have been likely offender(s)!

Originally Posted by Justin

Lots of memorable action - tyres coming off, wheels coming off, a car rolling into the gravel trap, bonnet flying up and covering windscreen, loads of sideways action, top stuff.

There were a cracking couple of Finals, thats for sure! Best drive of the final has to go to Steve Hill in his Evo: not only did he keep going with the bonnet up, but he was fighting for his position as well!

Originally Posted by Justin

The subarus didn't fair too well, my boy was in tears when Simon Horton came last in one of the heats! Don't worry he cheered up after an ice cream and a go on the bouncy castle

Such is the healing power of the bouncy castle! Sadly its a motorsport where Subarus don't have a great track record.

Originally Posted by Justin

Trying to get a whole gang down for the European round

It should be a cracker, I can't wait!

Originally Posted by Lazadude

Nice to hear liam did something other than "waiting for a piece of electrical equipment" before going home.

Been told today it was a replacement part of the wiring loom they were waiting for. Liam was standing by us over on the Canterbury Straight during the Supercar final with a pit radio on, so I assume he was spotting for the team. Assuming it was a genuine lack of parts that must have been a very frustrating day for him.

The DS3 has definately been running...



...a damn shame we couldn't see it in action as, on paper, it should be one of, if not the, quickest cars in the ERC this year.

[Panda]

Gutted i didnt get down there my little bro said it was a craking day and our boy #83 James Knight-Conney did alright in the swift cup all things considered, he started out ok in qualifing but then his gearbox decided to play silly buggers still he managed to get into the B final and even more miraculas managed to win the B final so got into the A final still with the buggered gearbox, he was holding his own until someone spun infornt of him and he decided to spin his car and avoid an expensive crash (remember his got a gearbox to pay out for before the next round) think i managed to come home 8th or 9th which is great considering and soem half decent points to take into teh next round. He really showed his potential thou and will be strong for the rest of the season.