Archives November 2021

Wigan racer Tony Lynch was left to wonder what might have been after bringing the curtain down on his Retro Rallycross Championship campaign at Lydden Hill.

Tony and his Landsail Team Geriatric outfit headed for the ‘Home of Rallycross’ looking to try and overturn an eleven point deficit to the rival Simon Hart in the standings, with Tony’s title challenge having taken a hit after a fire in the previous event at Knockhill.

With Tony having also rolled the car during the Scottish meeting, the team was forced to work hard to ensure that he was able to compete in the season finale, with the Toyota MR2 looking almost good as new by the time it was loaded onto the trailer for the long trip to Kent.

Any concerns there may have been about the car were put to one side after the opening heat as Tony secured second spot, and he then went one better in heat two as he beat the rapid Mini of Terry Moore and the Citroen AX of Steve Cozens to victory.

A third place finish behind the pair in heat three meant Tony would qualify in second place for the finale, with title rival Hart starting from fourth at the wheel of his Escort.

Having taken points out of Hart through the heats, Tony headed into the final race knowing the title was on the line but would lose out to Moore and Cozens on the run down to turn one.

From that point on, he had to settle into third spot and despite ending the year with another podium finish, fifth for Hart meant he edged Tony for top spot in the standings.

“We knew that we had a chance of the title but the loss of two cars from the entry before the weekend made things more difficult when it came to taking points off Simon,” he said.

“We just focused on the job at hand and the car went well in the heats to qualify second, which is probably more than I was expecting against Terry and Steve as their cars are better suited to Lydden Hill than the Toyota.

“The start was key in the final and I really needed to try and get ahead so I could then work to keep them behind, but they got the jump at turn one and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back ahead. I had to settle for third, and unfortunately that wasn’t quite enough to overhaul Simon and take the title.

“It all comes down to what happened at Knockhill and the fire there ultimately proved to be decisive as the points we lost in qualifying were the difference between us winning the title and finishing in second.

“It’s frustrating that a mechanical issue that was outside our control has cost us the championship, but at the same time, I’m hugely proud of the team for their efforts as they have turned out a fantastic car for every round and – Knockhill aside – we’ve been right up there at the front all year.

“I have to say a huge thank you to the sponsors who have backed us this year, and all of those who have given shown their support along the way. It’s a shame that we couldn’t deliver the title, but we gave it our all.”

Wigan racer Tony Lynch will look to end his season on a high this weekend at Lydden Hill when the Retro Rallycross championship heads for the spiritual home of the sport for the 2021 season finale.

Tony’s participation in the final round of the year had been in doubt on the back of a dramatic weekend at Knockhill, where his Landsail Team Geriatric Toyota MR2 was left heavily damaged following a roll in the second meeting of the Scottish double-header.

That followed an engine fire in the opening round that had forced the team into a dash back down to Greater Manchester to carry out overnight repairs in a bid to retain the championship lead.

The unfortunate incident in the fifth round of the year saw Tony slip to second in the Retro Rallycross standings behind Simon Hart, and left him facing a race against time to get the Toyota prepared for the big finale.

Thanks to a monumental effort from the team – and the ever valued support of a number of key partners – the MR2 has been fully repaired in time for the trip to Lydden Hill, ensuring that Tony will be able to do battle on track.

Tony secured a podium finish at the Kent circuit earlier in the year, with a repeat this weekend being the target at the very least as Tony seeks to overhaul Hart and add a Retro class title to his already impressive resume.

“After the incident at Knockhill, I did wonder if we would be able to compete at Lydden Hill but I should have known better than to doubt whether the team would get it fixed in time,” he said. “I have to give massive thanks to everyone who has helped to get the MR2 into a position where it is now ready to race – particularly Paul Waldron and Wigan Car Paints – and it means out title bid is still very much alive at a time when it could easily have been dead in the water.

“Saying that, it has been a massive race against time to get ready and it means we go into the weekend having been unable to do the usual preparation we would do for such a big meeting. We will be on the back foot a bit going into practice and the opening heats as we check over the car and make sure everything is working as it should, but we haven’t put all this effort in to just to go to Lydden Hill and make up the numbers.

“We have no option but to go on the attack if we want to win this championship so that is what I’ll be doing on track, and I think I am more determined than I’ve ever been to try and end the year on a high.”