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Hill keeps fight alive with second win |
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Tuesday, 26 August 2008 |
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Steve Hill (Aylesbury) claimed his second event of the year in the
fifth round of the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship at
Lydden today (August 25), breathing new life into his championship
hopes in the process. After engine problems left him with a zero score
in round four of the championship, Hill needed a good result in round
five. With two events left to run, Hill is third, four points behind
Lawrence Gibson (Banbridge) and 15 adrift of series leader Ollie
O'Donovan (London).
Pole
position for the British championship Superfinal race was taken by Pat
Doran (Winkleigh) who took a clear win in the Supercar A final. Behind
Doran, the battle for places was hard fought, Hill running second for
much of the race but struggling with damaged steering and losing the
place to O'Donovan who surged ahead at the Devil's Elbow late in the
race.
At
the start of the Superfinal Hill and Doran jockeyed for position but
both ran wide in the first corner and it was O'Donovan who moved
through to take the lead. Hill and Doran ran second and third, the
leading three cars then joined by Liam Doran who made it a four-car
lead battle until the propshaft in his RS200 failed and he was forced
to retire. Hill challenged O'Donovan for the lead at every turn, but
was rebuffed time and again. The race order appeared settled when, at
the start of the last lap Hill lunged to O'Donovan's left at the
Devil's Elbow – repeating the same move the champion had earlier used
against him – and seized the lead. Doran also saw a chance and moved
into challenge O'Donovan but as the two touched, Hill was able to open
out a small lead and move away to take the win.
Andy
Grant (Barnstaple) collected his best result of the year with a fine
run to fourth place where he finished just ahead of Chris Langley
(Hastings) who continued his excellent recent form and took fifth place
while James Bird (Midhurst) was best of the two-wheel drive cars in
sixth with his Renault.
Results
Superfinal
(5.5 laps): 1 Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Lancer E9) 3m33.451s; 2 Ollie
O’Donovan (Peugeot 306) 3m37.838s; 3 Pat Doran (Ford Fiesta ST)
4m10.641s; 4 Andy Grant (Ford Escort) 4m16.486s; 5 Chris Langley (Ford
Escort) 4m18.289s; 6 James Bird (Renault ClioSport V6) 4m27.644s; 7
John Collins (Vauxhall Tigra) 4 laps; 8 Liam Doran (Ford RS200) 2 laps.
Championship: 1 O'Donovan 123; 2 Lawrence Gibson (MG Metro 6R4) 112; 3
Hill 108. Next event: Pembrey September 28
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