As the new-look Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy opened the 2025 season at Lydden Hill, reigning champion Patrick O’Donovan prevailed to net a brace of victories in front of a big crowd and to a new broadcast audience online.

There was county interest in the main and supporting events. Faversham’s Max Weatherley, a former Swift Sport Rallycross champion and the reigning Cross Car title-winner (Lifelive TN11), delivered a brilliant overtake for the lead on the final lap of the Saturday afternoon final in the new-for-2025 Motorsport UK Cross Car Championship.

Following the opening round at Blyton Park, Weatherley won ahead of Richard Rees (Mygale XC04) and visiting Belgian driver Kyandro Van De Vivere (Lifelive TN11).

On Monday, Adisham’s reigning Swift Sport champion Will Ovenden (Mygale XC04) tried an around-the-outside move in the first corner of the final, and hounded Weatherley for the opening laps, but it would ultimately be fellow former junior racer Benjamin Bartlett (Mygale XC04) who finished second having used an earlier joker lap strategy, ahead of Ovenden.

In the Retro Rallycross Championship, Ashford’s Terry Moore (Austin Mini) delivered a stunning fightback performance in the opening round for up to 1600cc machines. Having jumped the start of the final, and with the absence of a joker lap to take as penalty for the Retro classes, Moore was placed to the back of the grid but drove a fine race to secure victory ahead of reigning champion Isle of Sheppey’s Dan Swayland (Ford Escort) and fellow Mini racer Ian Biagi (BMC Mini Clubman).

Swayland then struck back on Monday afternoon in round two with a dominant performance, while behind him, Retro newcomer Joe Luke-Eastwood (MG Metro) overtook Paul Buckmaster (Vauxhall Nova) for second mid-race with Buckmaster also losing the final podium spot to his brother Rob (Ford Fiesta).

Ashford’s Matt Cake dominated the opening two rounds of the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship at his home circuit and was only beaten once in any of the sessions through the weekend when debutant Ted Shepherd set the best time in Q3 of round one.

It was also Shepherd who led the round one final, having gone side-by-side with Cake through the first corner and over the jump. However, a mistake and a hit barrier later in the race cost Shepherd time, finishing the race just inches behind Cake, before being handed a five-second penalty and dropping to third. Also making his rallycross debut, Samuel Petersen finished second.

In round two on Monday, it was again Cake and Petersen who finished first and second, while Supercar regular Steve Harris finished third on his return weekend to the category.

Adisham’s Tristan Ovenden took part in the 5 Nations Trophy, but couldn’t stop reigning champion Patrick O’Donovan from taking both wins.

Racing a Proton Iriz RX for Team RX Racing, he set the first fastest qualifying heat time of the weekend in Q1 on Saturday, but it would be 2021 champion Derek Tohill, who revealed a Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar on the eve of the event for his 5 Nations BRX return who went quickest in Q2.

It would be another former champion, 2007 title-winner Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Focus) who would start on pole position for the final, however, when son and team-mate Patrick O’Donovan was handed a semi-final penalty, dropping him down the final starting order.

Another former champion, six-time title-winner and JGE Team Goody Rallycross driver Julian Godfrey (Citroen DS3), joined O’Donovan Snr and Tohill on the front row of the round one final, but it was Patrick O’Donovan who made the best start from the second row of the grid, moving around the outside of turn one to climb to second, then overtake Tohill at the hairpin on the opening tour to seize a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.

Tohill finished the six-lap encounter in second, fending off huge pressure from Oliver Bennett (BMW Mini). Bennett wound up third with Ollie O’Donovan, Godfrey and Ovenden (Citroen DS3) rounding out the top six.

The Easter Monday podium mirrored that of Saturday afternoon’s, Patrick O’Donovan coming out on top of a turn-one battle with Tohill and leading the race throughout, while Bennett’s hopes of finishing higher than third were dashed by getting held up in traffic following a lap-one joker strategy.

The MMS RX Team IRL battled back from a difficult opening round to get both cars into the final with John McCluskey (Ford Fiesta) finishing fourth, ahead of Ovenden and Ollie O’Donovan.

The 5 Nations returns to Lydden Hill for a single-header meeting on September 6.