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Ryan Lawford Memorial rallycross event at Lydden Hill on Saturday

Talented rallycross driver and engineer Ryan Lawford will be remembered at Lydden Hill on Saturday at round seven of the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship.

The 26-year-old - who died five years ago - was a star of the British Rallycross Championship's Stock Hatch category in a red Peugeot 205 and worked in the British Touring Car Championship with Andrew Jordan as an engineer.

Dubbed the Ryan Lawford Memorial rallycross event, organisers have attracted almost 90 entries for the event, which will mark the first time the Clubmans series has raced at the Canterbury track since 2012.

Ryan Lawford at Lydden Hill
Ryan Lawford at Lydden Hill

It will include racing from the Super Modified and Pre-1995 classic categories, as well as the Production 4X4 class.

Will Gollop - the 1992 European Rallycross champion - will attend the event, having mentored and worked with Blean-based Lawford for a number of years.

In the last race at the end of the meeting, a Ryan Lawford memorial SuperFinal will take place for the fastest 10 cars from all the A Finals, except juniors.

Lawford in action at Lydden Hill in a Ford Fiesta
Lawford in action at Lydden Hill in a Ford Fiesta

A British Rallycross trophy donated by Gollop will be handed to the winner.

A number of Lawford's former competitors - including Sittingbourne's Darren Scott and Canterbury's Tristan Ovenden - have entered the event.

Scott, a former oval racer, is offering businesses the chance to run their company logo on the side of his car, with half of the proceeds being donated to charity.

Scott said: "I will be running Ryan's number - 727 - on the car and it will be a special event for me.

Sittingbourne's Darren Scott will be in action. Picture: Matt Bristow
Sittingbourne's Darren Scott will be in action. Picture: Matt Bristow

"I am looking for anyone who would like to advertise their company on my car for the meeting.

"The money raised will be split between me and Ryan's dad, Martin, who will give his half to a charity of his choice."

Scott, who raced against Lawford in the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship, has also donated a trophy which will be presented to the driver of the day.

On Bank Holiday Monday, Scott claimed victory in the British Rallycross Championship's Super1600 class at Lydden.

After enjoying his first taste behind the wheel at a BTRDA meeting at Lydden, Lawford soon became a frontrunning Stock Hatch driver in the British championship between 2007 and 2009, winning events in his Peugeot 205 prepared by Gollop's G-Tech operation.

He switched to the new Swift Sport Championship in 2010 and - despite limited testing - continued to show raw speed in Julian Godfrey’s Supernational Fiesta in 2011 and '12 before his untimely death in January 2013.

More than 45 races are on Saturday's programme, with action starting at 9am.

Visit www.lyddenhill.co.uk for details.

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