Highs and Lows for The PGM Junior Team at Lydden Hill

 It was a weekend of highs and lows at Lydden Hill on Bank Holiday Monday for our PGM Junior Team who, having had such a good result from the previous round, Marius Solberg Hansen now knows the true meaning of 'What a difference a day makes' entering the event leading the championship, now returning to Norway in third position. 

 Marius Solberg Hansen

Being the man to beat, Solberg Hansen found himself in the mix of the battle from the very start of the day, with everyone desperate for any available extra points as the chase for the Championship title draws nearer the end.  Unfortunately, in a freak moment, after the finish of Q2, Solberg Hansen having not realise the cars ahead had unexpectedly slowed leaving the circuit through the joker section, accidentally tagged the back of the fellow competitor ahead which ended up with two points he would rather have not collected...on his licence! He tried to stay strong but a DNF from contact into Chessons in Q3 put him on the back row for the Semi Finals. He managed to qualify for the final where he picked up seventh place on a day that can only be described as 'character building'. Whilst this season was all about learning, the young Norwegian has already exceeded expectations winning the opening round and to still been at the top mid season proves he's has the pace, although to a teenager with such a passion for rallycross, that does not help with a ten point deduction from the championship points from this tightly controlled series and he is no longer at the top of the table. He will have his work cut out but as this day proves, anything can happen in Motorsport! 

 Kristiane Hvaal Engh

Fellow Norwegian Kristiane Hvaal Engh also did not have an easy day of it when her car started to jump out of second gear during the day, gear cables and selector changed for the semi finals she was set for promotion to the final in fourth position, she held off the advances of O'Donovan into Devils Elbow but with sights on the approaching chequered flag, taking the racing line down Hairy Hill, O'Donovan saw his way through into paddock bend to pip her to the post and grabbed the last place in the final. 

Will Layton

Making his debut in a race car, Will Layton joined the PGM Team for his first taste of Rallycross. The former TKM Junior Champion having only sat in the seat for the first time on Saturday, soon got to grips with the Swift and recorded a respectable fourth fastest time in his opening qualifier on race day. Increasing with confidence throughout the day, the only newcomer in the grid, continued to gain pace and in the semi finals earned promotion through to the final where he finished an impressive sixth overall in his first event racing a car. The MSA Junior Rallycross Championship heads to Wales again next month where the PGM Team will be back to Pembrey in search of podium places once more.

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CARTER MAKES RALLYCROSS RETURN IN PGM SUZUKI SWIFT AT CROFT

 

Former BTRDA SuperModified 1600cc Rallycross Champion, Larry Carter, returns to action this weekend at his local Croft Circuit for the final round of the Autosport International BTRDA Rallycross Championship which takes place on Sunday 6^th November.

However, the motorsport broadcaster and journalist from Northallerton, North Yorkshire will not be using his trusty Peugeot 206 rally car in which he took the title in his debut season in the sport back in 2014, instead he’ll once again be at the wheel of a British Championship-specification Peter Gwynne Motorsport Suzuki Swift Sport.

Due to business commitments, Carter hasn’t been able to contest the BTRDA Championship for the past couple of seasons and hasn’t raced in Rallycross since the corresponding meeting last year when, in another PGM-backed Suzuki Swift, he battled to second place in the SuperModified ‘C’ Final before a bruising encounter in the ‘B’ Final saw him placed ninth in the 1600cc car against much more powerful opposition.

This time it will be an even taller order as a capacity entry has been received for the Darlington & District Motor Club-organised event which will see a total of 84 cars in action, including 26 in the SuperModified class.

The Suzuki Swift Sport is the car used recently by Ginetta GT4 racer Fraser Robertson at the final round of the British Rallycross Championship by Odyssey Battery and the MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix by Procter’s Coaches last month and will see Carter enjoy backing from sponsors Yorkshire Van Lease, Fuchs Titan Race, Design Bi-folds, Swift Signs, RWS Bodyworks, Peter Gwynne Motorsport and 7/10 Oils as well as www.cartersport.com.

Carter said: “Watching everyone else having fun whilst I did the commentary at the Croft British Rallycross Grand Prix made me even more determined to race at the final round of the BTRDA series! Thanks to Peter Gwynne Motorsport, I’ve been offered the chance to race a competitive Suzuki Swift once again and following last year’s experience, hopefully we can have a good, clean run and improve on our results from 2015.”

Practice starts at 9am with the first of three sets of heats getting underway from around 10.15am. Adult admission is just £10 on the gate with accompanied children aged 15 and under admitted free. There is free parking and free paddock access also. Croft Circuit is located on the A167 just five miles south of Darlington and for further information, please visit www.croftcircuit.co.uk

Image courtesy of Tony Todd 

Ginetta GT4 Supercup's Robertson Ready for Rallycross!

 Fraser Robertson - Ginetta G55 GT4

Joining the Peter Gwynne Motorsport team for the final round of the Swift Rallycross Championships at Croft Circuit this weekend, Fraser Robertson will swap his Ginetta G55 GT4 for a Suzuki Swift Sport to make his rallycross debut at the final round of the British Rallycross Championship.

Having just completed his 2016 season in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup, where he finished fourth overall, ‘The Van Centre’ proprietor from Brompton-On-Swale is keen to explore different motorsport challenges ahead of the 2017 season.

Whilst no stranger to a one-make championship, swapping his 355 bhp 3.7 V6 Ginetta G55 GT4 for the modest 1.6 front wheel drive little pocket rocket and taking to the gravel sections of his local motorsport venue, for the adrenaline-fuelled, quick-fire races, is sure be a different experience for him.

Pop by and wish him good luck and watch for that smile as he returns to the paddock after Q1!

Deal Driver Don Macleod set for Swift Rallycross at Croft

Making the long journey north from Deal, Kent, Borderforce officer Don Macleod is set to compete in the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship season finale at Croft Circuit, Darlington.  

Wanting to fulfil a dream, the football referee hired a PGM Swift for the second round of the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship when they headed to his local circuit, Lydden Hill during the Easter weekend. 

After a successful debut, the Scotsman was left wanting more and took to the track once again when the swifts returned to 'The Home of Rallycross' in August for Round 6 of the British Rallycross Championship.

Having embraced the spirit and camaraderie of the Swifts, progressing steadily in both heats and the semi finals, with his highlight so far being a third in heat three at Lydden Hill, Don says “Despite being a complete novice, the fellow competitors have accepted me and their knowledge and advise has given me the impetus to push harder and harder in each race I have competed in.”

Now wanting to experience a new circuit, Macleod heads to Yorkshire for the Swift season finale at Croft Circuit with the ambition to continue racing in the Swifts in 2017, work permitting.

Highlights of Ben Tuck's first experience of Swift Rallycross at Pembrey

Normally used to driving rear wheel drive on a sealed surface, we send Ben Tuck Racing straight out in the Swift Rallycross ultra-competitive Swift Rallycross Championships at Pembrey Circuit in the pouring rain courtesy of the free drive offered by Lumena Lights Ltd!

Impressive performance by the Motor Sports Association (MSA) Academy Student who qualified for the final and finished a very respectable sixth overall in his first ever British Rallycross Championship event.

Watch his highlights here:

Testing Terrain for Trio on Trackrod!

The sun shone as three Swifts swooped into Dalby Forest service park on the first day of October ready to take on the BTRDA Trackrod Rally.

First to take to the stages was British Rallycross Supernational driver Todd Crooks and girlfriend Jordine Wadge making their debut in BTRDA Rally.  Waiting for this day to finally arrive, an anxious Jordine had an even longer wait for her first taste of codriving when reaching stage one there was a thirty minute delay.

There were smiles as the two returned to service after SS3 however, and after a close encounter with a deer that jumped into the stage in front of them in Langdale, the pair realised what a real adventure rallying is.

Finding good pace through SS4 Crooks settled into his stride with the swift until reaching a collection of cars retired on the side of the stage.  Avoiding the cars put him in line with a large deep pot hole which caused damage and explained the parked cars.  Nursing the Swift back into service the crew got to work replacing the severed strut and bent hub just in time for Crooks to continue to SS5, where unfortunately their rally would end when a ball joint let go during a tight chicane.  

Jonathan Hodgson and codriver Gary Baker were next out and due to the delays queuing for stage start, there was concerns of the clutch overheating although they managed to made it though the morning stages until they too found the pothole on SS4 causing them to limp into service with a puncture.  New rubber on, the Yorkshire boys continued incident free to complete their third rally in a row.

Droitwich driver Tom Delaney and codriver Matt Walk were not so lucky.  Having had a steady run though their first stage learning grip levels,  the MSA Student encountered a rock in the middle of the road resulting in a cracked sump which ended play at SS3.

Whilst the Dalby Forest terrain got the better of two of the swifts in this occasion, congratulations to Jonathan and Gary on completing the day.

Well done to Todd and Jordine who worked well together and made a great team.   Hope to see them having more 'quality time' together or rally stages in the future. 

Finally thank you to everyone who came and offered help and support to the new couple on their rally debut and to all the organisers, marshals and everyone who made the event possible. 

The Swifts will be back out in force on Grizdale Stages - 26th November 2016