News and Events
Steve Hill is competing in our specifically built Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in the 2007 Kuhmo Tyres British Rallycross Championship. In this section you will find information on future events and previous results.
Latest News
25th August 2008 - Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship, Lydden
HILL TAKES VICTORY AT LYDDEN
In one of the most spectacular Superfinals in recent years Steve Hill (Aylesbury) claimed his second event of the year in the fifth round of the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship at Lydden today (August 25), breathing new life into his championship hopes in the process. After engine problems left him with a zero score in round four of the championship, Hill needed a good result in round five. With two events left to run, Hill is third, four points behind Lawrence Gibson (Banbridge) and 15 adrift of series leader Ollie O'Donovan (London). Taking dropped scores into account Hill and O’Donavan share the overall lead.
Pole position for the British championship Superfinal race was taken by Pat Doran (Winkleigh) who took a clear win in the Supercar A final. Behind Doran, the battle for places was hard fought, Hill running second for much of the race but struggling with damaged steering after a bold challenge on the first corner resulted in contact with Doran. Hill eventually lost the place to O'Donovan who surged ahead after contact at the Devil's Elbow late in the race.
At the start of the Superfinal Hill and Doran jockeyed for position but both ran wide in the first corner and it was O'Donovan who moved through to take the lead. Hill and Doran ran second and third, the leading three cars then joined by Liam Doran who made it a four-car lead battle until the propshaft in his RS200 failed and he was forced to retire. Hill challenged O'Donovan for the lead at every turn, but was rebuffed time and again. The race order appeared settled when, at the start of the last lap Hill lunged to O'Donovan's left at the Devil's Elbow, repeating the same move the champion had earlier used against him and seized the lead. Doran also saw a chance and moved into challenge O'Donovan but as the two touched, Hill was able to open out a small lead and move away to take the win.
Said Hill “We all wanted to put on a good show for the big crowd, Motors TV and the FIA stewards who were monitoring the event for European status. I am delighted to have won such a high profile event especially against the best drivers in the UK. Our team of Steve Hill Motorsport mechanics worked wonders in getting the car repaired ready for the Superfinal and once again saved the day.”
Highlights can be seen on Motors TV (UK): on the following dates:
- 05/09/08 at 22.00
- 06/09/08 at 06.00
- 06/09/08 at 18.30
- 07/09/08 at 03.00
- 07/09/08 at 12.00
- 08/09/08 at 23.00
- 09/09/08 at 13.00
- 10/09/08 at 20.00
Results Superfinal (5.5 laps):
1 Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Lancer E9) 3m33.451s;
2 Ollie O?Donovan (Peugeot 306) 3m37.838s;
3 Pat Doran (Ford Fiesta ST) 4m10.641s;
4 Andy Grant (Ford Escort) 4m16.486s;
5 Chris Langley (Ford Escort) 4m18.289s;
6 James Bird (Renault ClioSport V6) 4m27.644s;
7 John Collins (Vauxhall Tigra) 4 laps;
8 Liam Doran (Ford RS200) 2 laps.
Championship: 1 O'Donovan 123; 2 Lawrence Gibson (MG Metro 6R4) 112; 3 Hill 108.
Next event: Pembrey September 28
News
4th May 2008 - Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship, Round three, Pembrey
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
The third round of the Kumho Tyres MSA British Rallycross Championship was won by Steve Hill (Witney Lakes Resort) at a wet Pembrey on Sunday (04.05.08).
In Sunday’s entertaining wet encounter, Hill started from pole position in the Super Final having earlier won the Supercar A Final. O’Donovan had qualified on pole for the A Final but was left standing on the line due to his troublesome gearbox, with Hill, Dermot Carnegie and Doran all getting past him. Hill took the tight inside line for the hairpin, his Lancer E9 even clouting the tyre wall as he pulled ahead of the chasing pack. Doran initially held second but Carnegie passed his rival as the cars sped across the gravel section for the first time. The recovering O’Donovan fended off a challenge from the MG Metro 6R4 of Lawrence Gibson and set about taking third place from Doran. O’Donovan eventually clinched the position in a drag over the race line. Carnegie continued to hound Hill but the Aylesbury driver held his nerve and recorded his first A final win after suffering a broken rear differentials during Saturday’s event. In the Super Final, Hill was ahead from the start and untroubled by the treacherous track conditions. The Mitsubishi driver moved steadily further ahead of the rest and took a clear win ahead of Carnegie who finished second helped in part by O’Donovans gearbox problems, a fate also effecting Doran. Lawrence Gibson (Banbridge) was also helped by Doran's misfortune and took third place from the Fiesta driver in the fifth lap of the six-lap race. Doran and O'Donovan took fourth and fifth places with David Binks (Newcastle) having a good run in the rain and taking sixth in his Mitsubishi Lancer.
Hill had threatened to let down O’Donovan’s tyres after the last round at Lydden Hill on Easter Monday. However, such drastic action was not required. Hill’s driving abilities in the wet conditions and the fantastic team of Steve Hill Motorsport mechanics who worked overnight to repair damaged transmission shared the glory.
A spokesman for the Mitsubishi specialists who have developed the car over the past 18 months said “ This justifies the extensive development programme that puts the Mitsubishi Evolution 9 with its transverse engine gearbox layout consistently ahead of more conventional Supercars.“
Result: 1 Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Lancer E9); 2 Dermot Carnegie (Ford Fiesta ST); 3 Lawrence Gibson (MG Metro 6R4); 4 Pat Doran (Ford Fiesta ST); 5 Ollie O'Donovan (Peugeot 306 T16); 6 David Binks (Mitsubishi Lancer E7);
This result places Hill in a strong second place in both the MSA and BRDA championships. Next event Croft 6th July
News
14th October 2007 - Mondello Park, Ireland
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
After a troublesome day and despite only qualifying in third place for the ‘B’ final at Mondello Park, Round 7 of the British Rallycross Championship. Steve Hill went on to snatch the win from Derrick Jobb on the last corner of the race.
A long awaited and much deserved win for Hill, who fought hard to gain places and cross the line first. The cars of O’Donovan, Jobb and Hill were side-by-side exiting the final bend but it was Steve Hill and the Steve Hill Motorsport prepared Mitsubishi that edged past to take the valuable points. “I had to enter wide into the last corner, using a higher gear the car just gripped and pulled to the line” said Hill after triumph. It was not an easy achievement however, as driveshaft failure on the start line of the third qualifying heat resulted in Steve only making the grid for the ‘B’ final. The first and second heats on the fast Mondello circuit had proved difficult also.
Engine coolant temperature rose causing the engine management to reduce boost levels as the race went on. The lower boost slowed the car significantly and it’s crucial to set good times in heats to secure a place in the ‘A’ final. Both the rear driveshafts were replaced as a precaution and the engine cooling was bled to ensure maximum efficiency. Steve moves into the last round of the series, in fourth position in the MSA Drivers Championship, taking place at Croft circuit this weekend
News
27th August 2007 - Lydden Hill, Kent
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
After the disappointment of the previous round, Steve was commited to trying to score points this round. A dry Pembrey was a refreshing change, however increasing the transmission stress during the launch from the line. The knock-on effect of this was a sheared drive shaft and a rear diff' swap after heat two. These shafts are custom items, made from the most resiliant material available and yet still this fire-breathing dragon is sometimes just too much for them. We came away with 5 postion in both the Supercar final and Superfinal
News
5th August 2007 - Knockhill, Scotland
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Aiming to maintain or improve on our current third place in the championship, we set-off for Scotland with great optimism and enthusiasm. Steve had only driven the Knockhill circuit once before and that was during the 2006 season.
For the first time this season the weather looked promising, a refreshing thought after our ten-hour slog in the team Iveco. We’re now so used to turning up, getting absolutely soaked and going home, not the motivation you need. We all walked and inspected the un-familiar circuit on the Saturday after setting-up, we organised ourselves for the morning and then settled down for the night.
The car had received a run at our test site during the previous week to ensure that she was performing at an optimum. The MoTeC data provided information that our most recent alterations had cured the problems we faced in previous rounds.
Sunday brought rain and heavy cloud, the 307 of George Tracy had retired before practice had begun, due to painful and costly engine failure. A field of 7 Supercars remained to chase the win at Knockhill. Our practice, however, went very well, the car was flying and setting very fast times. We swapped to semi-slicks and completed another practice but Steve decided that the intermediate tyre was better suited on the wet, loose section of the circuit.
Our first heat of three, Steve lined-up against ex-national champion Dermot Carneige and the Impreza of Kevin McKann. Steve made a good start but was just pipped to the first corner by Dermot. The racing was fast, close and very sideways on the saturated circuit. This wasn’t a problem, all that was needed was a quick time to put Steve in a good position for the final. Disaster struck towards the end of the heat, Steve failed to complete the last lap and had to be towed to the service area.
After a brief inspection we started stripping the front of the car off in an attempt to get the turbo changed for the next heat. We had to get the car out in time or we couldn’t continue racing that day. With a minute to spare, the car was sent out and joined the grid. All was not well, the car continued to smoke and after completing 2 laps, Steve retired. The end of our event in Scotland.
After further inspection, we discovered damage to piston 4, the con-rod and the crank. All of this stemmed from a spark plug failing and sent us home with no points from round 5.
News
1st July 2007 - Pembrey, Wales
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Even before we set-off for Pembrey the team were convinced it would pour down all weekend...It did. The paddock was filled with deep puddles and the track was completely saturated. We were anxious to get the car out for practice following installation of a revised turbo with a few other alterations to the car.
After the first heat, Steve was 3rd fastest to complete the now drying circuit. There was no change after the second heat but on the start line of the 3rd, both rear driveshafts snapped under the load of the launch. A swift replacement by the team and the car was ready to line-up on the front row for the A-final alongside Andrew Jordan and Pat Doran. Steve drove hard, coming home second, after another close race to the finish. Our second front row start of the day was secured but this time no Pat Doran due to Turbo failure in the final.
Lights out and a drag to the first corner. The Metro 6R4 of Grant Rees hit Steve's Lancer and forced him onto the grass and into a fast sideways slide. Fortunatly Steve gained control and tucked back into forth position. Jordan led the race, followed by O'Donovan, Rees and Steve, who was now pushing very hard to gain positions. It was down to the last corner, where Steve managed to pass O'Donovan to snatch 3rd place following Rees and the race winner Jordan.
A good result for us, despite being hampered by our re-occuring boost problem. See you in Scotland on August 5th!
News
28th May 2007 - Lydden Hill, Kent
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Our second of three visits to Lydden Hill this season, with the weather looking bleak and the rain setting in, it looked certain to be a very wet weekend, conditions both the Lancer and Steve excel in. However within the loose sections of Lydden Hill's circuit, lies very large stones and a lot of dense mud to cover the car and block the intercooler during races. It is critical to get a good start in these conditions, as visibility is reduced by the end of the firts turn.
Practice went well and the car was quick. We believed the boost problem from Pembrey was cured, but the car appeared to stuggle to get off the line as quickly as it usually does. During the heats it proved difficult to gain any places after the slow starts, due to the lack of visibility from the frequent showers.
Steve qualified on the second row for the A final and made a good start, the heavy rain meant that drivers had to be cautious on the circuit. Ollie O'Donovan spun into the gravel trap and then on the following lap Dermot Carneigie Ploughed into the trye wall after aqua-planing. This meant Steve was running in third place in a strong position but as expected, the race was stopped and the cars were sent in. Thirty minutes later it was announced that there was to be no re-start and that the event was cancelled. A disappointing end to a very wet and busy day.
News
7th May 2007 - Pembrey, Wales
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Over to Wales for the second round and fortunatly the notoriously dusty circuit had recieved rain during the week, which would aid visibility on the loose and improve times if stuck behind another car. Steve had only driven the circuit once before, in last years BRC series, so a walk of the circuit and a good practice was required. Tyres were selcted and the Evo headed out for practice laps, only to return with a cracked gearbox casing. The damaged 'box was soon out and the replacement Holinger installed, Unfortunatly the time it took to change meant we had to miss the first heat. Unlike nearly every other car, our Lancer still has a transverse Engine, which makes gearbox removal a little more time consuming. The car was soon back in action, but now suffering from a boost problem, the team desperatly tried to cure the problem but it was still reported as slow by Steve.
The car did however, set the fastest time of the day and qualified for the A Final on the second-row of the grid. Our persistant boost problem held the car back, making a quick get-away from the line very difficult. The A-final was, as usual, very close indeed. The Superfinal was certainly an action-packed one! With spins, cars catching fire and the usual grappling for position making for great spectating. The car came home in 4th position, so overall a good day considering the problems we had faced.
News
9th April 2007 - Lydden Hill, Kent
KUHMO TYRES MSA BRITISH RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
The first round of the 2007 season and the first outing with the newly re-built Evo Rallycross car. We expected the car to perform much like the previous Evolution and it did exactly that. With very little opportunity to test the car before the event, it meant Steve had to learn how the car behaved in different conditions on the day. With the suspension and brakes dialed-in, the day started well, with Steve setting good times and a position in the 'A' Final was secured. The previous Evolution was a very fast and competitive car, setting the fast time at Croft circuit in its last ever outing.
The new car was performing very well and didn't disappoint either Steve, the team or the crowd, earning a place in the Superfinal. However, disaster struck in the Superfinal when Andrew Jordan lost drive mid-corner after the start. This resulted in Steve ploughing into the back of the stranded Focus and causing substantial damage to both cars. The race was stopped and the cars were removed, an unfortunate end to a great day but nothing that couldn't be cured by the next round. Thats Racing!
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Dates For Your Diary
MSA BRX Event Dates for 2008
2008 championship dates as follows:
Round 1: Lydden Hill, Sunday 23rd March (Easter Sunday)
Round 1: Lydden Hill, Monday 24th March (Easter Monday)
Round 2: Pembrey, Saturday May 3rd
Round 3: Pembrey, Sunday May 4th
Round 4: Croft, Sunday July 6th (will coincide with Rallycross Open Championship)
Round 5: Lydden, Monday August 25th
Round 6: Pembrey, Sunday September 28th
Round 7: Mondello Park, Sunday October 12th
The MSA format is much the same as previous years with each event ending in an 8-10 car superfinal. BTRDA (Club events) will coincide with the above dates excluding Mondello, 6 out of 7 rounds will count
Rallycross Open Championship 2008 Dates
Round 1: Croft Circuit - March 2nd
Round 2: Blyton Circuit - April 13th
Round 3: Pembrey - June 8th
Round 4: Croft Circuit - July 6th
Round 5: Blyton Circuit - September 13th
Round 6: Blyton Circuit - September 14th
Round 7: Croft Circuit - October 25th
Superprix Croft Circuit - October 26th
Video Clips
Videos
2007 Series Videos will be available shortly!!
17th April 2006
Steve Hill takes the lead at Lydden Hill
Download the video, follow this link
Action Clips
Action Clips
Valkenswaard 17th July 2005
Steve Hill takes a tumble at Dutch Rallycross Masters
