2008 BRITPART MSA BRITISH CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Walters Arena – round 6: November 7th-8th, 2008
For immediate release
Sunday, November 9th, 2008
CHELMARSH’S CHRIS HAMMOND
TRIUMPHANT AT WALTERS ARENA
·Lofthouse seals second place; third for Dilworth
·Awesome Lloyd seals fifth and Trophy success
WALTERS ARENA (Wales): Shropshire driver Chris Hammond drew the curtain on another successful season for the 2008 Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship (BCCC) by taking a stunning victory in the final round at Walters Arena in South Wales on Saturday.
The sixth round of Britain’s premier all-terrain series had shifted to a Friday and Saturday format to enable competitors to enjoy a social get-together at the end of the season, but the competition was as frenetic as ever over the varied eight-mile stage, with Bamber Bridge-based Dan Lofthouse sealing second in the championship with the runner-up spot and Holywell’s Tim Dilworth eventually securing the final podium place.
Newly-crowned BCCC winner Richard Kershaw had edged into an early lead at the wheel of his Peugeot 206 Evo9 and held a 2m 39s lead after the opening day’s timed safari stages in mixed weather conditions at Walters Arena. Hammond was a distant second in his Milner R5 and Broadbottom’s Martin Gould was third overall.
Dilworth held fourth position, Lofthouse and Gisburn’s Justin Birchall rounded off the top six and Ambaston’s Steve Lloyd held the advantage in the Trophy category with eighth overall. The much-vaunted and well-publicised first appearance of Keith Lewis in his new car failed to materialise.
Conditions were far wetter and more slippery over the final day’s safari stages and Kershaw’s hopes of ending the season on a winning note ended on the ninth run when the Huddersfield driver succumbed to broken rear suspension. Gould also retired after incurring three stage maximum times and Hammond took up the reins.
The Shropshire driver was pedalling his Milner to a career-best result and Birchall’s delays with stage maximum penalties increased his chances of seizing a memorable win. Lofthouse continued to be Hammond’s closest challenger, but the Chelmarsh driver hung on to seal a superb victory, with Lofthouse and Dilworth confirming the final podium places.
Chipping Norton’s Ray Kempster improved as the event progressed to take fourth position in his Pro Truck and Lloyd finished fifth overall, won the Trophy category and again advertised the fact that he will be a serious challenger for the overall title in 2009.
Chesterfield’s Alan Kirkland finished sixth overall, Plymouth’s Dave Marsh was seventh in a Wildcat QT, Oldham’s Tim Jefferson was eighth overall, while Wellesbourne’s Dave Harlow and Caxton’s Martin Cox completed the top 10. Rochdale’s Phil Ibbotson, Keighley’s Adam Evans, Dick Corking, Farnham’s Ben Gott and Warrington’s Tony Coid rounded off the top 15.
Evans also secured second position in the Trophy category, with Talybont’s Martin James, All Stretton’s Nick Forsyth and Stockton’s Peter Wood completing the Trophy section’s top five. There were a total of 31 finishers.
Walters Arena – final results
BCCC
1. Chris Hammond (Chelmarsh) Milner R45 2h 11m 11s
2. Dan Lofthouse (Bamber Bridge) Lofthouse Proto LD4 2h 13m 13s
3. Tim Dilworth (Holywell) Peugeot 206 STi 2h 17m 24s
4. Ray Kempster (Chipping Norton) Pro Truck R4 2h 26m 03s
5. Steve Lloyd (Ambaston, Derby) Milner R4 2h 27m 16s
6. Alan Kirkland (Chesterfield) Kirkland Proto 1 2h 28m 33s
7. Dave Marsh (Plymouth) Wildcat QT 2h 29m 31s
8. Toby Jefferson (Smithbridge) Peugeot 306 2h 30m 20s
9. Dave Harlow (Wellesbourne) Land Rover 2h 32m 41s
10. Martin Cox (Caxton, Cambs) Tornado 1 Cosworth 2h 34m 25s, etc
Trophy
1st and 5th o/a. Steve Lloyd (Ambaston, Derby) Milner R4 2h 27m 16s
2nd and 12th o/a. Adam Evans (Keighley) Bowler Wildcat 2h 35m 28s
3rd and 16th o/a. Martin James (Talybont) Land Rover Special 2h 42m 52s
4th and 23rd o/a Nick Forsyth (All Stretton, Shropshire) Range Rover 3h 04m 23s
5th and 29th o/a Peter Wood (Stockton) Kap Bandit 3h 21m 55s
6th and 30th o/a Paul Myers (Leeds) Britpart 100 3h 27m 59s
Ends
Note: photographs of BCCC competitors from all BCCC rounds are available by contacting official photographer Gary Simpson at Songasport (e-mail: songasport@gmail.com)
Photographs must be credited to Songasport. Failure to credit upon publication may result in an invoice being received from the photographer.
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).