Mitcheldean driver, Oliver Bennett, closed the lead in the Toyo Tires British Rallycross Championship to just one point, with a hard fought third place at Lydden Hill on Bank Holiday Monday.

A large and high quality entry assembled at the Kent Circuit, but again Bennett fell victim to the computerised grid draw for qualifying, putting him at the back for Q1and Q2. Bennett fought his way through heavy traffic to lie fourth after Q2, with both championship leader Julian Godfrey and Ollie O’Donovan top of the time sheets.

Q3 saw the Xite Energy Drink backed driver put in a quick time to finish in third place, and a front row slot in semi-final one alongside Godfrey. An action-packed race saw Nathan Heathcote break from row two to win in his Citroen C4 from Godfrey and Bennett third and a row two slot for the super-final.

Semi-final two was dominated by Subaru BTCC team boss Warren Scott, who took an easy victory in his Citroen DS3

With Bennett’s Ford Fiesta Supercar starting from P5 on the second row in the final, it was important he got a good start, as the lights went green he stormed from the line, and straight into fourth. A smart move saw him pass Julian Godfrey to move up to third, and was now hot on the tail of Nathan Heathcote, but try as he might, he couldn’t find a way past the Citroen driver and had to settle for third place.

Warren Scott took his first victory, and Godfrey finished in fourth place, which means the gap in the series is just one point.

As the championship heads for West Wales to Pembrey on September 23rd and 24th for a double header.

Bennet commented, “It’s not the result I wanted, but I’ll take it. It was a shame I couldn’t get past Nathan, I might have been able to chase after Warren. I tried everything, but credit to him he defended very well.

“But now we’ve closed the gap to Julian, and it’s game on now at Pembrey. Thanks to my sponsors Xite and Simpson Motorsport.”