PEMBREY, in South Wales, was the venue for the third round of the Toyo Tires MSA British Rallycross Championship last weekend where Northallerton sisters Paige and Drew Bellerby made it a weekend to remember as both took a class victory.

Sponsored by Fuchs Titan Race, points leader Paige won the third round of the MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship to record her third successive win in her Lotus Exige and in doing so extended her lead in the championship whilst younger sister Drew took an inaugural victory in the BMW Mini class ahead of former champion, David Bell from Ferryhill). BMW Mini title protagonist Martin Hawkes from Stockton on Tees went out in the semi-finals with a puncture to end his hopes.

‘Mad’ Mark Watson from Barnard Caste had a solid day in South Wales, as the Pembrey Circuit ran on it’s new-for-2017 rallycross layout for the first time. The Mend-a-Hose-backed Citroen Xsara campaigner won his first race of the day and set competitive times to finish the event sixth.

Scruton driver Kevin Procter was hoping to make up for missing out on victory in the opening two rounds of the year and was fastest in Q1 in his Procter’s Luxury Coaches-backed Ford Fiesta. However, rear differential problems in Q2 meant Procter would take no further part and he was out. Sadly for East Harlsey driver Guy Corner, the long trip proved fruitless as he retired his Peugeot 206 in the Supernational semi-finals.

Tom Constantine, from Richmond, was hoping for more success in the Junior Swift Championship and seized the lead on the opening lap of the final but dropped back with technical issues. Cousin James, from Dalton-on-Tees, ended up fourth in the CBS-backed sister car to salvage some family pride.

DALEY ON FORM

STOCKTON motorcycle racer Daley Mathison continued his great mid-season form by taking a superb runner-up place in last weekend’s Cock o’the North trophy race held at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough.

Fresh from a superb TT earlier in the month, Mathison brought the Eddie Stobart-backed BMW home behind Scarborough specialist an TT winner Dean Harrison and added the result to a host of other podiums in the various classes over the two-day meeting at the Yorkshire seaside resort.

Meanwhile up at the East Fortune circuit in Scotland, Rainton sidecar racer Tony Thirkell was in action along with passenger Trevor Johnson whereby they lifted the impressive Florian Camathias memorial trophy.

BEARS BEAT MONARCHS

SG PETCH Redcar Bears continued their push for a place in the Champions League Play Offs with a convincing win over top of the league Edinburgh Monarchs last week.

Sam Masters won heat one for the Monarchs in the fastest time of the meeting with Bears’ Jonas B Andersen in second. Bears’ Coty Garcia won the next heat with team-mate Danny Ayres, back from injury, in second before heats three and four were drawn with wins for Monarch’s German rider Eric Riss and Bears’ Charles Wright, also just back from injury.

Ben Barker won heat five for the Bears with Ellis Perks third whilst Lewis Kerr, who was a guest replacement for the injured Bears Captain Jason Garrity, won the next heat with Andersen second meaning a 5-1 to the Bears which gave them a lead of eight points. Heat seven saw another win for Riss with Wright second whilst Andersen won the next heat with Ayres in third to further stretch the Bears’ lead.

Barker scored his second win in heat nine with Monarchs’ American rider Ricky Wells second but as the Monarchs were now more than eight points behind, Riss wore the tactical helmet colour, which scores double points. However, Andersen rode a brilliant race to win and with Riss in second and Kerr third, this maintained Bears’ 10 points lead. Despite the Monarchs winning the next four heats courtesy of Masters (two wins), Riss and Max Clegg, the points were split with Bears in second and third place in each.

Going into the last heat, the Monarchs were desperate to close the gap but the Bears were even more determined to hang onto their lead which was consolidated with a fine win by Barker over Masters with Andersen third to leave the final score Bears 52 – 40 Monarchs.

NYRRSC DATE

WORLD Championship racing brothers Sam and Alex Lowes will be the special guests at the North Yorkshire Road Racing Supporters Club chat show at the Golden Lion Hotel in Northallerton on Tuesday, 18th July.

Tickets are available on the door on the night and for further information, please visit www.nyrrsc.net.