Round 2 of the Swift Rallycross Championship saw a blockbuster Bank Holiday meeting as the Belgian Rallycross Championship made the trip over the water, to join the British Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill.

The two day meeting kicked off on Sunday with some new faces on the grid. Scotsman Don Macleod, joined the line-up for his first Rallycross experience, along with fellow local Deal driver Rob Maynard who was making his first of two planned appearances for 2016, supporting both local Lydden Hill events.

Andy Pecover also made a return, having sampled the swifts here in 2015 but unable to attend the opening round at Croft. The Gearbox World Swift of Jack Brown was missing from the line up this weekend due to the Barnsley driver suffering an injury to his hand and being unable to drive.

With practice and first heats taking place on the Sunday, it was local lad Nathan Heathcote who got off to a good start and with the focus of finding that flying chequered flag, left Simon Ovenden and Aidan Hills to entertain the crowds with an exciting battle for second behind him.

Stockton-on-Tees driver Andy Hawkes took the lead out of Chessons for the opening lap of grid two, however an enthusiastic entry into Devils Elbow sent the Hawkesfire Swift wide, opening

the door for Jake Taylor to pass along with junior graduate Drew Bellerby and Christian Hainsworth. Taylor took it to the line however due to minimum weight regulations, saw standings after heat one, Heathcote, Ovenden and Hills top of the scoreboard.

Round one winner Aidan Hills found his form for heat two ahead of Ovenden, and this time it was Maynard who made it up the top three. Heathcote came in fourth, the first time he has been out of the top three so far this season, whilst a wheel speed sensor issue restricted new driver Martin Dalzell’s time as he limped back to the paddock with the Superlite supported swift on safe mode.

In only his second rallycross event, it was Ovenden who had the pace from heat three ahead of Hills, Heathcote and filling their wing mirrors was rising star Bellerby Jnr. Back on the pace, Dalzell took the win for his race ahead of Guernsey driver Hainsworth and Taylor.

It was a disappointing end of the day for Brett Harris who having won his race in heat two, suffered a gearbox failure whilst heading to the grid for the semi final, ending his day. Ovenden once again went out and set a good time along with Maynard and Heathcote who had damaged the camshaft in heat three and feared that was the end of his day. Hainsworth secured his place in the final, whilst another impressive run was made by newcomer Macleod, who narrowly missed out on a promotion to the final in his first ever race.

Always looking for that win, it was Hills who had the crowd cheering in the second Semi Final line up, when seeing back-marker Bennett (who is fulfilling his dream of trying rallycross at the age of 68) felt the need to get past. Two wheels on the grass was all it needed to send his swift into a spin and hand the victory to Bellerby who was hot on his heels. Recovering, Hill managed second, ahead of Woollett and junior champion Bradley Durdin who now taking the step up to seniors finds himself the only non-driver in the swift sport line up.

Being his first time in a car since Croft three week previous, the 2015 junior champion Durdin faced disappointment when video footage requested from a first corner kerfuffle was deemed unsubmittable due to lack of track visibility which denied him a place in the final which was handed to Hawkes.

Lining up for the all-important final it was Ovenden on pole position, Bellerby had a front row seat in the middle, along with Maynard to the outside. Young hotshots Hills and Heathcote behind with Woollett, Hainsworth and Hawkes making up the final line up. As they all headed for the first corner, Maynard made a break for the joker, Heathcote was the first of the equally powered swifts to appear out of Chessons followed by Ovenden and Hainsworth. Bellerby got caught up in the collection and sustained damage, as did Woollett which saw his race come to an end as he came to a stop before Devils Elbow.

Heathcote had a comfortable lead which, with a faultless drive, he managed to build on each lap allowing him to joker and return to the track retaining his lead and taking a clear win to the chequered flag. Ovenden took second, followed by Maynard and Hills. An impressive drive from the 2016 newcomer Hainsworth saw him fifth ahead of Bellerby and Hawkes managed to complete the final, although the Hawkesfire Swift sounded decidedly poorly as it crossed the line.

Nathan Heathcote said at the end of the weekend: “I started Lydden on the Sunday and was straight on the pace which made me very confident for the Monday.”

“After snapping my cam shaft in heat 3, I thought the weekend was over, but my mechanics done an awesome job to get it fixed and send me back out for my first win in the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship”

Picture supplied by Matt Bristow.