This article is about the British motor racing series. For generic RallyCross, see RallyCross.
The Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship is an auto racingRallycross series, running in the United Kingdom. From 2020, the championship became known as the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy presented by Cooper Tire.[1]
The championship is recognised as an official Championship by Motorsport UK which is the governing body of Motorsport in Great Britain.
The current format consists of the Motorsport UK Supercars (600Hp+ Vehicles with 4WD based upon hatchbacks), The Supernational and All4Mini's, the BMW Mini Class, the Retro Rallycross, the Swift Sport, Swift Junior championship and RX150s.
The first Rallycross event was organised at Lydden circuit, near Canterbury in Kent, on Saturday 4 February 1967.
Originally intended as a one off conceived by Robert Reed, a producer on ABC TV's World of Sport programme and organised for the broadcaster by the Tunbridge Wells centre of the 750 Motor Club under the leadership of Bud Smith, the event was such a huge success that more TV specials soon followed. And it wasn't long before 'clubmans' events were being run for autocross, race and rally drivers who'd become captivated by the new sport.
The first event was won by Vic Elford – already a successful rally driver and someone who would go on to drive in F1 and have great success as a sports car racer – driving a Porsche 911 owned by AFN, at that time the official Porsche importer for Great Britain.
It is claimed that the foot and mouth outbreak of 1967, which caused the cancellation of that year's RAC Rally, gave rise to Rallycross. However, Rallycross had been born in February 1967 and the November foot and mouth disease actually prevented some drivers attending the first Rallycross event to be staged at Croft, near Darlington in County Durham, on 30 December 1967.
There is a link to the abandoned RAC British Rally of 1967. A televised Rallycross had been organised to take place following the rally. However, following its cancellation, most of the foreign drivers and teams left Britain and the Rallycross lost many of its expected star entries. The event still took place and was won by Rootes Group driver Andrew Cowan.
With the bit firmly between its teeth, ITV ran a championship season through the winter of 1967–68, the winner of which, and the first man ever to win a Rallycross championship was Welshman Tony Chappell.
ITV's monopoly on the sport, its man Reed had thought up, was lost in August 1968 when the BBC struck a deal with Lydden owner Bill Chesson giving them virtually exclusive access to events at the Kentish track. ITV moved North, basing itself at Croft and later added events at Cadwell Park, near Louth in Lincolnshire.
The television companies first fought over Rallycross then ignored it. ITV was gone by the middle '70s and BBC's coverage had declined to one or two events a year by the time it dropped the British round of the European Rallycross Championship from its roster a decade later. The British Rallycross Grand Prix was the last event to be shown by the national broadcaster but that too ended after the 1994 event – the last to be run at Brands Hatch and in the event's traditional winter slot.
Rallycross spread to Europe within a couple of years of its creation and in 1973 the 'Embassy European Trophy' was won by Scotsman John Taylor in an Escort RS1600. The first officially sanctioned European Rallycross Championship followed in 1976 – won by Austria's Franz Wurz in a Lancia Stratos – the same year that Britain got its official British Rallycross Championship, won by Trevor Hopkins in an Escort RS1800.
Past championsEdit
2022 – Patrick O'Donovan (Ford Fiesta VII 4x4 T16)[2]
^"Msa British Rallycross Championship". www.rallycrossbrx.com.
^Patrick O'Donovan youngest ever British Rallycross Champion
^Derek Tohill crowned 2021 British Rallycross Championship winner
^"Mark Donnelly Crowned 2020 5 Nations BRX Champion | Cooper Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship". www.rallycrossbrx.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
External linksEdit
Official website
October 16, 2023
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This article is about the British motor racing series For generic RallyCross see RallyCross This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources British Rallycross Championship news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship is an auto racing Rallycross series running in the United Kingdom From 2020 the championship became known as the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy presented by Cooper Tire 1 Motorsport UK British Rallycross ChampionshipCategoryRallycrossCountryUnited KingdomInaugural season1967Drivers championPatrick O DonovanOfficial websiterallycrossbrx comCurrent seasonThe championship is recognised as an official Championship by Motorsport UK which is the governing body of Motorsport in Great Britain The current format consists of the Motorsport UK Supercars 600Hp Vehicles with 4WD based upon hatchbacks The Supernational and All4Mini s the BMW Mini Class the Retro Rallycross the Swift Sport Swift Junior championship and RX150s Contents 1 History 2 Past champions 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditThe first Rallycross event was organised at Lydden circuit near Canterbury in Kent on Saturday 4 February 1967 Originally intended as a one off conceived by Robert Reed a producer on ABC TV s World of Sport programme and organised for the broadcaster by the Tunbridge Wells centre of the 750 Motor Club under the leadership of Bud Smith the event was such a huge success that more TV specials soon followed And it wasn t long before clubmans events were being run for autocross race and rally drivers who d become captivated by the new sport The first event was won by Vic Elford already a successful rally driver and someone who would go on to drive in F1 and have great success as a sports car racer driving a Porsche 911 owned by AFN at that time the official Porsche importer for Great Britain It is claimed that the foot and mouth outbreak of 1967 which caused the cancellation of that year s RAC Rally gave rise to Rallycross However Rallycross had been born in February 1967 and the November foot and mouth disease actually prevented some drivers attending the first Rallycross event to be staged at Croft near Darlington in County Durham on 30 December 1967 There is a link to the abandoned RAC British Rally of 1967 A televised Rallycross had been organised to take place following the rally However following its cancellation most of the foreign drivers and teams left Britain and the Rallycross lost many of its expected star entries The event still took place and was won by Rootes Group driver Andrew Cowan With the bit firmly between its teeth ITV ran a championship season through the winter of 1967 68 the winner of which and the first man ever to win a Rallycross championship was Welshman Tony Chappell ITV s monopoly on the sport its man Reed had thought up was lost in August 1968 when the BBC struck a deal with Lydden owner Bill Chesson giving them virtually exclusive access to events at the Kentish track ITV moved North basing itself at Croft and later added events at Cadwell Park near Louth in Lincolnshire The television companies first fought over Rallycross then ignored it ITV was gone by the middle 70s and BBC s coverage had declined to one or two events a year by the time it dropped the British round of the European Rallycross Championship from its roster a decade later The British Rallycross Grand Prix was the last event to be shown by the national broadcaster but that too ended after the 1994 event the last to be run at Brands Hatch and in the event s traditional winter slot Rallycross spread to Europe within a couple of years of its creation and in 1973 the Embassy European Trophy was won by Scotsman John Taylor in an Escort RS1600 The first officially sanctioned European Rallycross Championship followed in 1976 won by Austria s Franz Wurz in a Lancia Stratos the same year that Britain got its official British Rallycross Championship won by Trevor Hopkins in an Escort RS1800 Past champions Edit2022 Patrick O Donovan Ford Fiesta VII 4x4 T16 2 2021 Derek Tohill Ford Fiesta VII 4x4 T16 3 2020 Mark Donnelly Citroen DS3 4x4 T16 4 2019 Julian Godfrey Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2018 Mark Higgins Peugeot 208 4x4 2017 Nathan Heathcote Citroen DS3 4x4 T16 2016 Dan Rooke Citroen DS3 4x4 T16 2015 Julian Godfrey Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2014 Julian Godfrey Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2013 Julian Godfrey Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2012 Julian Godfrey Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2011 Julian Godfrey Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2010 Pat Doran Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2009 Pat Doran Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2008 Lawrence Gibson MG Metro 6R4 2007 Ollie O Donovan Peugeot 306 4x4 T16 2006 Christopher Evans Opel Astra 4x4 T16 2005 Pat Doran Ford Fiesta VI 4x4 T16 2004 Dermot Carnegie Ford Focus I 4x4 T16 2003 Dermot Carnegie Ford Focus I 4x4 T16 2002 Pat Doran Ford RS200 2001 Dermot Carnegie Ford Focus I 4x4 T16 2000 Lawrence Gibson MG Metro 6R4 1999 Dermot Carnegie Ford Escort 1998 Helmut Holfeld Peugeot 306 S16 1997 Will Gollop Peugeot 306 S16 1996 Will Gollop Peugeot 306 S16 1995 Dermot Carnegie MG Metro 6R4 1994 Dermot Carnegie MG Metro 6R4 1993 Mike Turpin MG Metro 6R4 1992 Denis Biggerstaff MG Metro 6R4 1991 Will Gollop MG Metro 6R4 1990 Steve Palmer MG Metro 6R4 1989 Michael Shield MG Metro 6R4 1988 Mark Rennison Ford RS200 1987 Mark Rennison Ford RS200 1986 John Welch Ford Escort 1985 Trevor Hopkins 1984 John Welch Ford Escort 1983 Keith Ripp Ford Fiesta 1982 Keith Ripp Ford Fiesta 1981 Keith Ripp Ford Fiesta 1980 Graham Hathaway Ford Fiesta 1979 Bruce Rushton 1978 Trevor Hopkins 1977 Trevor Hopkins 1976 Trevor Hopkins References Edit Msa British Rallycross Championship www rallycrossbrx com Patrick O Donovan youngest ever British Rallycross Champion Derek Tohill crowned 2021 British Rallycross Championship winner Mark Donnelly Crowned 2020 5 Nations BRX Champion Cooper Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship www rallycrossbrx com Retrieved 2021 02 22 External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title British Rallycross Championship amp oldid 1154106511, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
