Embassy Rallycross

International Rallycross came to Lydden Hill last month with the British round of the Embassy European Championship, now ending its first successful season on the calendar. A strong contingent of Fords and British Leyland cars turned out to do battle in the dusty conditions which prevailed at the Kent circuit, but Austrian autocross exponent Franz Wurz (above) came out on top with his Porsche 911S-engined Volkswagen. Another German machine which didn’t feature in the leading positions, but provided endless entertainment, was the rally-prepared Mercedes-Benz 6.3 driven by Franz Pickel (above right). Mini-Coopers are no longer quick enough, it seems, for outright victory in rallycross, but there are still plenty around: on the right David Potter’s example can be seen raising the dust. One of the most ingenious devices made specially for this branch of the sport is the Ford BDA-powered DAF coupe, seen below driven by Jan de Rooy and leading the Championship-leading Escort RS of John Taylor.