Lynch secures championship glory in British Rallycross finale

Wigan racer Tony Lynch secured arguably the biggest accolade of his career to date after successful wrapping up the Supernational class title during the final round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with ODYSSEY Battery.

The Westhoughton-based driver headed across the Pennines to the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire sitting pretty at the top of the championship standings at the wheel of his Lucas Oil Team Geriatric-run Ford KA, knowing that a top five finish would be enough to take the title.

Adopting a cautious approach through the three qualifying heats, Tony lined up in third spot for his semi-final and secured what was ultimately a comfortable victory after one of his main title rivals, Paige Bellerby, was forced to retire.

Aware of the points situation, Tony stayed out of trouble at the start of the all-important final; dropping back to fourth as his rivals diced for the lead.

As the six lap final wore on however, Tony made the most of the pace within the KA to work his way through into the lead; beating main title rival Guy Corner for victory to wrap up the title in style.

The Croft success, Tony’s third of the campaign, capped a stunning season for the newly-crowned champion, who ultimately ended the year 14 points clear of his nearest rival.

“The Supernational field has been strong this year, so to come away from the season having lifted the title is absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Having only taken the decision to run the KA quite late, we knew this year was going to be a huge challenge and it’s gone better than I ever expected it to.

“In the early stages of the season, it was all about picking up points while we learned all about the car, and as we gained more experience, the performances improved.

“We put ourselves into a fantastic position going into the finale but having been forced to retire in the previous round, I knew it was important not to get too carried away. The plan had always been to pace myself and make sure we got the points we needed, but when the chance was there to go for the victory, I had to take it. To wrap the title up with a win makes it even more special.

“Although it’s me who goes into the record books as the champion, this year has been a massive team effort and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the team around me. To a man, they have been fantastic all season and this championship is for them as much as it for me. I also have to thank the amazing sponsors who have backed me this year as I wouldn’t have been able to compete without their support.

“We’re now going to take some time to enjoy this success and then the hard work starts preparing for next year and hopefully defending our title.