Electro Rallycross 2021
Dan Welch Crowned Electro Rallycross Champion 2021.
Ex-Touring car driver Dan Welch, competing in the first ever UK fully electric rallycross championship, has been crowned as the 2021 Electro Rallycross Champion, beating his nearest rival Rob Gibson by a margin of just 4 points.
Seven drivers joined Elimen Racing over a fun packed weekend to run in the first two rounds when the series was launched at Lydden Hill in May.
Our overall top three finishers, Welch, Gibson and EV racer Charlie Fraser, signed up to the championship, alongside Polish driver Tomasz Wielgosz, Hal Ridge, Dave Halford and Dominic Flitney.
The programme was scheduled to restrict events solely at Lydden Hill in this first series and was supported by Motorsport UK, who have worked extensively with championship coordinator Shirley Gibson, to ensure that everything is in place to roll out this exciting new concept ensuring that British Rallycross isn’t left behind and prepared for the new generation of racers.
Round one provided lots of action leading up to the final which was a bit of a thriller; Hal Ridge led the way off the start followed by a determined Dan Welch who was under pressure from Wielgosz, both fighting to take the lead. whilst Fraser and Gibson were locked in their own battle. The change in position at the front came on lap 2. Wielgosz and Welch took turns in first place until Welch finally got the better of the Polish driver and leading the pack home to the chequered flag, closely followed by Wielgosz and Ridge who managed to just hold on to third place with Fraser hot on his tail.
After the first event Rob Gibson, who is more at home in his mighty Metro 6R4 said, ‘’ I can’t remember when I last had so much fun in a race car, these little Fiats are amazing they stood up well to the pounding of Lydden Hill Circuit with not one breakdown. They are very tough and reliable, faster than I originally imagined. An event where I didn’t have to lift the bonnet made a refreshing change, I am really looking forward to doing this again in the next round’’.
Round two saw us joined by new faces and Elimen Racing were pleased to be welcoming experienced British rallycross racers, Dominic Flitney and Dave Halford to line up alongside Welch, Gibson, and Fraser.
Racing proved to be just as exciting as the previous round where the qualifying heats resulted in placing Halford, Gibson and Flitney sitting on the front row for the final.
Dave Halford was the first away off the line with second place man Flitney being occupied by the determination of Fraser’s efforts to take the place away from him, leaving the way clear for Halford to remain in the lead to the finish. A mistake by Fraser on Chesson’s Drift allowed Welch to move up to third place and score enough points to take the overall championship title.
Our Championship season has come to an end shorter than planned due to a decision taken by the promoters of the 5 Nations BRX not to include the Electro Rallycross Championship in their schedule at Lydden Hill November 6/7.
‘’To be part of and win the UK’s first Electric Rallycross Championship is something that I am very proud of’’ said an excited Dan Welch upon receiving the news. ‘’keeping up the Family tradition, from growing up around the rallycross circuits in Europe and then eventually enjoying the thrills of competing on such an Iconic Circuit as Lydden, has been such a pleasure that I hope to repeat.
Finishing third overall was a delighted Charlie Fraser. "It was so exciting to be part of the first electric championship in the UK. As the world moves towards a zero carbon future, it is so important to showcase how fun electric motorsport can be. Electro Rallycross has been a steep but incredible learning curve. It was amazing to race against both Rallycross and British Motorsport heavy weights. I can't wait to get back in the battery powered race seat soon! Thank you to Shirley Gibson, Electro and Elimen for the opportunity and to Octopus Electric Vehicles for supporting my first Rallycross experience. The tight racing and competitive format combined with the relatively cheap racing because of the plug and play nature of the vehicle prove electric motorsport is here to stay."
Our report wouldn’t be complete without a word from our Champion’s Father, legendary rallycross champion, John Welch. ‘’Many thanks to Shirley and all involved in putting on the first Electro Rallycross Championship alongside Retro Rallycross giving us the best of both worlds, small steps to help the future of rallycross progress into the future of a sport with such a prestigious History trail. This has proved another viable route into ensuring a secure future the World of Rallycross’’
Elimen Racing look forward to presenting their future plans and ongoing projects soon.
