Procter wins landmark night race
Kevin Procter won the British Rallycross Championship's first night race.For the first time in its 34-year history, a round of the British Rallycross Championship was run at night when the third round of the 2010 Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship took place under floodlights at Blyton on Saturday (June 12). Broadcast live on Motors TV, the landmark event was won by Kevin Procter (Northallerton) who kept his Ford Focus Supercar ahead of the Fiesta of current champion Pat Doran (Winkleigh) despite a failing clutch that reduced the speed of his car in the last lap of the Superfinal.
Procter started the Supefinal from pole position after winning the Supercar A final in which he was also chased home by Doran.
David Binks (Newcastle upon Tyne) qualified second for the A final but lost a lot of time in a first corner incident and failed to qualify for the Superfinal. The same incident also involved Andy Scott (Dumfries), winner of the second round of the championship in April, and he too missed the cut for the points scoring Superfinal.
In contrast, Andy Grant (Barnstaple) had sticky start to the event in which he missed the first qualifying heat after arriving at the grid too late. Fighting back and making it to the A final as the last direct qualifier, Grant finished fourth in the A final and then gained further ground in the Superfinal where he placed third and earned sufficient points to propel himself into the lead of the championship.
Several drivers enjoyed their best results of the year in the night race; fourth placed "Mad Mark" Watson (Barnard Castle) frustrated to have lost a position to Grant after starting on the front row of the Superfinal, but posting his best finish of the season. In fifth and sixth places, Steve Mundy (Ludlow) and Simon Horton (Clitheroe) also excelled, Horton winning the Supercar B final and then steering his Subaru Impreza clear of the first corner trouble that delayed Binks and Scott to finish place sixth in the A final and earn a Superfinal start.
The last two finishers in the Superfinal came from the two-wheel drive SuperModified category, class winner Jamie Lea (Wrexham) and Mike Howlin (Haverfordwest) continuing their battle into the main event.
Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship, round three, Blyton June 12
Superfinal (six laps) 1 Kevin Procter (Ford Focus ST ERC) 3m33.448s; 2 Pat Doran (Ford Fiesta ST ERC) 3m34.098s; 3 Andy Grant (Ford Focus ERC) 3m41.715s; 4 "Mad Mark" Watson (Citroën Xsara ERC) 3m44.647s; 5 Steve Mundy (Ford Focus 4x4 Turbo) 3m45.718s; 6 Simon Horton (Subaru Impreza) 3m48.039s; 7 Jamie Lea (Toyota MR2 II Turbo) 3m54.171s; 8 Mike Howlin (Ford Fiesta ST/Millington rwd) 3m56.575s.
Championship 1 Grant 72; 2 Doran 70; 3= Andy Scott, David Binks, Julian Godfrey 61; 6 Howlin 60.
Next event: Maasmechelen (Belgium) July 11
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