Lydden Hill will celebrate fifty years as the birthplace of rallycross with special demonstrations on May 27-28 when the circuit stages the fifth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.
Iconic cars from four decades of rallycross, most of them in period livery, will take to the track in a graphic, colourful and no doubt nostalgic reminder of the history of the sport.

Clearly the most fearsome will be the Group B cars from the ’80s which were eventually banned from rallying because they were too powerful. They were dubbed “fire-breathing monsters” because they belched flames from the exhaust on the over-run before they powered out of corners spitting rooster-tails of dirt from all four wheels.

Former British champion Pat Doran will drive his iconic Ford RS200, Enda Garvey will take to the track in the Silkolene MG Metro 6R4 which carried Will Gollop to the 1992 European Championship title while a special highlight will be the appearance of the late Herbert Breiteneder’s short-wheelbase Audi Quattro to be driven by David Halford.

Cars from the ’70s include three Renault Alpines and Barry Stewart’s Porsche 911 which won the British GP at Brands Hatch in the hands of Rolf Nilsson.

“Jumping” Jeff Williamson will demonstrate the works BMC Mini Cooper he raced in the late ‘60s. Simon Hart will drive the Haynes of Maidstone Ford Escort Mk.1 raced by John Taylor who went on to win the very first European Championship. And to take us right back to the start of the sport Rob Russell will drive the Porsche 911 which Vic Elford drove to victory in the very first rallycross event at Lydden on 4 February 1967.