Lynch adds to impressive win record at Lydden Hill

Wigan racer Tony Lynch enjoyed another successful weekend on track with a fifth win of the season as the Autosport International BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship in partnership with Toyo Tires headed for Lydden Hill for the seventh round of the year.

Westhoughton-based Tony made the long trip to the Kent circuit in confident mood after a fine campaign to date at the wheel of his Lucas Oil Team Geriatric-run Ford KA.

However, with a bumper Supermodified field – boosted by a number of guest entries keen to take part in a meeting being held in memory of former racer Ryan Lawford – Tony was also well aware that he couldn’t afford to take it easy in his quest to pick up more valuable championship points.

Second behind guest racer Tristan Ovenden in the opening two heats of the weekend, Tony then secured victory in heat three which ensured a front row start for the all important points-scoring final.

Aware that he would struggle to match Ovenden’s rear-wheel drive car off the line, Tony took the decision to take the longer joker lap at the first available opportunity and it would prove to be the correct call as a series of quick laps ensured that when Ovenden took the joker on the final lap, he rejoined behind the KA.

It meant a fifth victory of the campaign to further strengthen his position at the head of the Supermodified standings.

Tony would then finish second to Ovenden in a special non-points scoring Superfinal dedicated to Lawford, who passed away back in 2013.

“It was a great weekend on track and to come away from it with another win is fantastic for the whole team,” Lynch said. “We knew going to Lydden Hill that we faced a tricky weekend because of the various guest drivers who were joining the grid from both the UK and Europe, and so it proved.

“Tristan was one of our main rivals in the British Championship during the last few years and it was good to go wheel-to-wheel with him again throughout the event. Going into the final, I knew we couldn’t match his car off the line so took the decision to go down the joker lap at the start and then just got my head down and pushed as hard as I could.

“When he then rejoined behind me on the final lap, it showed we’d made the right call on the strategy and I was delighted to come away with victory against such a strong field.

“In terms of the championship, we’ve put more good points on the board and have strengthened our position in the standings so it’s a case of mission accomplished and as ever, that is largely down to the work of the team who did a fantastic job once again to give me a great car on track.”