2008 BRITPART MSA BRITISH CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Castle O’er – round 3: June 28th-29th, 2008
For immediate release
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
BCCC TEAMS LOOK AHEAD TO CASTLE
O’ER AND SCOTTISH FOREST CHALLENGE
Richard Kershaw takes slender BCCC lead to Scottish borders
NEWTOWN (Wales): There are only just over two weeks before the third round of the 2008 Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship (BCCC) fires into life at Castle O’er in the Scottish borders on Saturday, June 28th and Sunday, June 29th.
Last year’s traditional forest round north of the border produced a thrilling battle in appalling conditions between Abergavenny’s Keith Lewis, Preston’s Gordon Monaghan, Huddersfield’s Richard Kershaw and Hyde’s Colin Gould. Lewis eventually slithered his Simmbugghini to victory and it is highly likely that the twisty forest tracks, near Lockerbie, will provide a pulsating contest again this year.
Kershaw will take a slender 12-point lead to the only Scottish round of the championship. The 206 Evo9 driver was a comfortable winner of the drama-filled Driffield event, although Holywell’s Tim Dilworth actually beat him on the first of the 10 runs in Yorkshire and will be chasing hard for outright victory.
Several drivers face a race against time to prepare their cars for the Scottish challenge. King’s Nordley’s Ian Rochelle needs to repair his Millington-engined Mattseratti in which he eventually finished 24th overall at Driffield, while Bob Seaman’s Milner Pro Truck was seriously damaged by fire in Yorkshire and it is likely that the Ludford driver may switch to a Bowler Wildcat in Scotland.
Stirling’s John Cockburn borrowed a Bowler to take a fine fourth and first in class H1 at Driffield, but will be keen to wheel out his new Tomcat 106 S in the borders if it can be readied in time. Meanwhile, Dilworth, who lies second in the championship and finished in a similar position at Driffield, plans to carry out some pre-event testing in Scotland before the Castle O’er showdown.
Other Driffield class winners included Darlington’s Graham Porter H2), Chipping Norton’s Ray Kempster (G1), Brampton’s Paul Garner (G2), Chesterfield’s Alan Kirkland (F), Caxton’s Martin Cox (E), Nuneaton’s Andrew Wilson (D) and Heswall’s Roland Marlow (C). They are also likely to attend the Scottish event, where officials at Newtown-based Marches 4×4 Motorsport Management are again hoping for in excess of 60 starters.
The Trophy category has been well-supported this season and the likes of Driffield winner Steve Lloyd, from Ambaston in Derbyshire, Talybont’s Martin James, All Stretton’s Nick Forsyth, Leeds driver Paul Myers and Stockton-on-Tees-based Peter Wood are likely to attend the Scottish event.
Competitors will also have to cope with the Scottish midge, which has a formidable reputation on these balmy summer evenings and was especially notorious when the Scottish International Rally used to visit this part of Scotland in previous years.
BCCC registered contenders will have the opportunity to enter Baja GB 2008 at the start of July. Event officials are currently finalising last minute modifications to the regulations and the target is for the regulations to be available and entries to be open from July 1st.
Several BCCC runners have already expressed an interest in taking part in Britain’s premier off-road event, with Lancashire’s Laurie Boyle – winner of Class B at Driffield in his Range Rover – the latest BCCC driver keen to take part, as several try and follow in the footsteps of Shropshire’s Ian Rochelle, the winner of the inaugural Baja GB in August 2006.
Ends
Note: photographs of other BCCC competitors from previous BCCC rounds are available by contacting official photographer Gary Simpson at Songasport (e-mail: songasport@gmail.com)
For further information:
Neil Perkins, 2008 Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship Press Officer, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@compuserve.com. www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).