2008 BRITPART MSA BRITISH CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Driffield – round 2: June 7th-8th, 2008
For immediate release
Sunday, June 8th, 2008
HUDDERSFIELD’S KERSHAW TAKES
BCCC SERIES LEAD WITH DRIFFIELD WIN
Holywell’s Tim Dilworth seals second place
Trophy win for Lloyd; third for Hyde’s Martin Gould
DRIFFIELD (Yorkshire): Huddersfield’s Richard Kershaw and Graham Broadbent benefited from warm, sunny conditions to clinch victory in the second round of the 2008 Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship (BCCC) at Driffield in Yorkshire on Sunday.
At the wheel of his Peugeot 206 Evo9, the experienced BCCC runner duly moved up from second position and into an outright 12-point lead in Great Britain’s premier off-road championship after two rounds.
Tim Dilworth and Anthony Brinkman shadowed the Yorkshireman all the way. The Holywell driver brought his Peugeot 206 home in second position and moved up to a similar placing in the championship, with Broadbottom’s Martin Gould and Simon Kerfoot completing the podium places in a Milner Protruck.
"I’ve been around long enough to know that leading the championship after two rounds counts for nothing," said Kershaw modestly. "We had a good run this weekend and stayed out of trouble, but I am sure there will be some work needed on the car when I clean the mud away. It was a bit drizzly on Saturday and there were some pools of standing water, but I am pleased with the win."
Stirling’s John Cockburn made his first appearance of the season count with fourth place in a borrowed Bowler Wildcat and Chipping Norton’s Ray Kempster was again in the hunt for championship points with fifth overall at the wheel of a Protruck.
Bamber Bridge driver Dan Lofthouse, Nuneaton’s Lee Mansfield, Ravenshead’s Ian Gregg, Kegworth’s Ken Powell and Hatton’s Stephen Smith completed the top 10. Deeside’s Neil Davey – winner of the opening round at Baden Hall – lost his championship lead and slipped to third in the rankings after a disappointing weekend.
Ambaston’s Steve Lloyd dominated the Trophy category in his Milner R4 and emerged well clear of Talybont’s Martin James, with All Stretton’s Nick Forsyth in third and Leeds-based Paul Myers in fourth overall.
King’s Nordley’s Ian Rochelle and Farnham’s Ben Gott had been well-placed inside the top 10 in the main BCCC event, but Gott hit something solid and damaged a rear wheel and Rochelle incurred a maximum after being swiped by a Bowler Wildcat in the pits and the impact caused damage to the Millington-engined Matseratti’s steering.
"It was a freak and disappointing way to retire from a potential podium finish," groaned Rochelle, winner of the inaugural Baja GB in 2006. "I was T-boned by a speeding Wildcat in the service area and the whack damaged the steering too badly for me to continue."
The event was held over two days at the Ministry of Defence vehicle proving ground at Driffield and 11 runs through the four-mile stage were planned, although a car fire involving Bob Seaman’s Milner Pro Truck on Sunday afternoon forced the cancellation of the final run and therefore six runs took place on Saturday and only four on Sunday.
Final positions:
BCCC
1. Richard Kershaw (Huddersfield) Peugeot 206 Evo9 1h 17m 50s
2. Tim Dilworth (Holywell) Peugeot 206 STi 1h 19m 13s
3. Martin Gould (Broadbottom, Hyde) Milner Protruck R5 1h 19m 48s
4. John Cockburn (Stirling) Bowler Wildcat S 1h 21m 15s
5. Ray Kempster (Chipping Norton) Protruck R4 1h 22m 08s
6. Dan Lofthouse (Bamber Bridge) Lofthouse Proto LD4 1h 22m 44s
7. Lee Mansfield (Nuneaton) Bowler Wildcat 200 1h 26m 09s
8. Ian Gregg (Ravenshead) Land Rover 1h 27m 58s
9. Ken Powell (Kegworth) Matseratti sri 1h 28m 19s
10. Stephen Smith (Hatton) JRG Indy II Special 1h 28m 30s
Trophy
1. Steve Lloyd (Ambaston, Derby) Milner R4 1h 30m 00s
2. Martin James (Talybont) Land Rover Special 1h 38m 40s
3. Nick Forsyth (All Stretton, Shropshire) Range Rover Special 1h 40m 12s
4. Paul Myers (Leeds) Britpart 100 1h 40m 25s
5. Peter Wood (Stockton-on-Tees) Kap Bandit 1h 45m 34s
2008 Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship – positions after round 2 of 6 (unofficial):
1. Richard Kershaw (Huddersfield) 167 pts
2. Tim Dilworth (Holywell) 155 pts
3. Neil Davey (Deeside) 143 pts
4. Dan Lofthouse (Bamber Bridge) 137 pts
5. Martin Gould (Broadbottom, Hyde) 133 pts, etc
Ends
Note: photographs of other BCCC competitors from Baden Hall and 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).