Rallycross action returned to Lydden Hill nearly 15 weeks after the first round that was held way back in August and due to the Covid crisis.

Now holding an Elite sporting status which means that the championship can continue behind at any of the tiered restrictions, unfortunately due to Kent being in the strictest tier spectators were not allowed.

Canterbury based Rallycross driver Tristan Ovenden headed into the event in fourth place in the championship after the first round, however he was under no misconception that the weekend was going to be a hard one.

The field entry boasted 3 World RX drivers as well as the cream of the crop of British Supercar drivers each of them with many more hours of supercar seat time. After the three qualifying heats the Goody Demolition backed driver was sitting in a comfortable mid table 6th.

This earned him a front row start for his semi final after opting to take his joker on the first lap he then brought his Citroen DS3 supercar home in 4th place and in doing so qualified for the final, albeit on the back row.

The final was held under floodlights, a first for Lydden Hill and not seen in the championship for nearly a decade. After a furious start Ovenden once again choose the joker on lap one fighting back in the gloom to pick up a couple of places and secure a very respectable fifth place at the flag.

On Sunday, the Morris Lubricants supported driver had a near carbon copy of the previous day infact bettering it by a place which gave him a front row starting position for the first semi-final.

After yet again taking his joker on the first lap he rejoined the race with plenty of clear track ahead of him to allow him to get the power down and chase down the pack ahead eventually crossing the line in a strong third place.

Unfortunately, Ovenden lined up for the final with a boost pressure problem which meant he had no power he still managed to nurse his car home in 7th place to secure what could be valuable championship points come the end of this campaign.

The championship hopes to conclude the 2020 title race early on the January 2021 again at Lydden Hill.

Speaking after the weekend, Ovenden said: “We were having a really solid weekend!! Loving having plenty of time in the car and getting more confident with every outing.

“The Red and Yellow Racing team were amazing and had the car well prepped, just in time for every race, which was no easy task, with so many races in each day!

“We made the final on both days, with a good result in the night final on Saturday for round 2. We were having an even better day on Sunday Round 3, with a great result in the semi-final. But the car developed a boost pressure problem.

“So, when I lined up for the final I had no power!! Overall a positive weekend and fortunately we could rely on our Junior driver, Tom to bring home the Silverware with two second places over the weekend to help his championship chase!

“Massive thanks to the team for their tireless work all weekend and to our amazing sponsors that continue to support us through this difficult year. We are looking forward to the next round in January already!”

Images courtesy of Matt Bristow Photography