Irish rallycross hero Derek Tohill thrilled the home crowd at Mondello Park over the weekend (May 24–25), delivering a dominant double victory that catapulted him into a shared lead of the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy standings.
The former British, Irish, and European Rallycross Champion was at his brilliant best across rounds three and four, seizing maximum points in front of his home fans.
Round 3: Leonard Takes the Flag, but Tohill Claims the Glory
Saturday’s action saw reigning champion Patrick O’Donovan set the pace in qualifying, putting his Team RX Racing Proton Iriz on pole for the final. But when the lights went out, it was Michael Leonard and Tohill who made lightning starts—Leonard leading the pack in his Irish RX-spec Ford Fiesta, with Tohill’s Peugeot 208 WRX right behind.
Although Leonard crossed the line first, he was not competing for 5 Nations BRX points. That handed the official round win to Tohill, with O’Donovan classified second and six-time champion Julian Godfrey taking third in his Citroen DS3. MMS RX Team IRL teammates Gary Donoghue and John McCluskey secured strong fourth and fifth-place finishes, while Godfrey’s JGE Team Goody Rallycross teammate Tristan Ovenden suffered mechanical issues and rounded out the field.
Round 4: Tohill Bounces Back from Barrier Hit to Take Commanding Win
Sunday saw high drama in Q3 when Tohill was forced into the barriers, damaging the rear of his 208 WRX. But his PFCRX team worked quickly to repair the car, and Tohill repaid them in the best way possible—storming to the front from third on the grid in the final and never looking back.
O’Donovan used a smart joker lap strategy to climb from third to second by the final tour, while McCluskey claimed his first podium of the season. Godfrey, Donoghue, and Ovenden filled out the top six.
After four rounds, the title race is wide open with Tohill and O’Donovan tied at the top. Team RX Racing continues to lead the Teams’ Championship.
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Junior Rallycross: Harris and Macpherson Share the Spoils
Cayden Harris looked unstoppable early on, sweeping Saturday’s sessions to claim his third straight Junior Rallycross victory. But Teddie Macpherson made him work for it—pushing hard in the final until a spin on the wet surface dashed his hopes of a maiden win. He recovered to finish second ahead of David McAdams.
Sunday saw the tables turn. Despite Harris again topping all three qualifiers, it was Macpherson who got the last laugh, taking his first-ever win in style. Harris, meanwhile, was handed a penalty for contact and dropped to sixth, with Tommy Brown and William Hands completing the podium. The duo now sit level on championship points.
Cross Car: Weatherly Extends Lead, Bartlett Breaks Through
Tight, door-to-door action defined the Cross Car category all weekend. Richard Rees was Saturday’s top qualifier, but it was Max Weatherly—who started seventh—who pulled off an incredible drive to take his third win of the season. Liam McMullan came agonizingly close but settled for second, with Rees in third.
On Sunday, Benjamin Bartlett—fresh from the Junior ranks—scored a breakout victory in his debut Cross Car campaign, holding off a charging Weatherly. McMullan again made the podium in third. Weatherly now leads the standings after five rounds.
Swift Sport: Cake Keeps Rolling with Fourth Straight Win
Matt Cake continued his dominant start to the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship with another weekend sweep, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
Saturday was business as usual, as Cake cruised to victory ahead of Samuel Petersen. But Sunday brought drama—a sparkplug failure in Q2 sidelined him for Q3. Despite the setback, his team got the car running just in time for the final, where he powered to win number four. Petersen again took second, keeping the pressure on.
Images@British Rallycross
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