MSA British Rallycross Championship

Bird and Turpin win

Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship, 22.09.09

In a slim SuperModified field for round six, it was championship protagonists James Bird and Julian Godfrey who shared the spoils in the heats, the latter beating Bird to pole position by a very fine margin. Engine builder Godfrey had played his trump card this weekend, his Fiesta no longer running in 1600cc ‘Division One-A’ spec and now sporting a more powerful two-litre motor. The final was a straight forward affair, Bird’s rear-drive Clio making the better start and holding on throughout to take the victory, Godfrey shadowing this every move.

Dave Curran, in the ex-Mike Sellar Clio finished third, a long way back from the leading pair but having an equal margin over fourth placed Gary Pusey who had holed the intercooler of his Peugeot 206 in an earlier heat and was running with no turbo boost.
It was another torrid day for Phil Chicken. The VW Golf driver blowing an engine in the first heat. His MB Motorsport team had the unit changed in time for the final, but driveshaft problems on his way to the grid put an end to a hard day.

The category was boosted for round seven by the influx of the Irish drivers for the first round of the Irish championship. Mike Turpin was reunited with his Vauxhall Nova, and duly took pole ahead of the two regular front runners Godfrey and Bird. It was Bird again who made the best start off the line but ultimately had to give best to Turpin who, running his car in Irish championship spec, had an advantage here. Second on the road Bird was highest placed of the British championship racer, Godfrey third ahead of current overall Irish champion Michael Coyne. Ian Byrne was a little way back in his monstrous Toyota MR2, ahead of a gaggle of cars including Bruce Bamber, Steve Cozens and Patrick Ryan having a great run in his Vauxhall Nova.

A finals (four laps): 1 James Bird (Renault ClioSport V6) 4m02.80; 2 Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta ST S1600) +2.08s; 3 Dave Curran (Renault ClioSport V6); 4 Gary Pusey (Peugeot 206 turbo)
Round seven: 1 Mike Turpin (Vauxhall Nova) 4m01.850; 2 Bird +1.53s; 3 Godfrey; 4 Michael Coyne (Vauxhall Nova); 5 Ian Byrne (Toyota MR2); 6 Steve Cozens (Renault ClioSport V6); 7 Bruce Bamber (Honda Civic EK); 8 Patrick Ryan (Vauxhall Nova)

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