Qualifying in Hungary was positive for the Irishman as he qualified 2nd fastest and ahead of main championship rivals Knut Ove Borseth (Norway) and Ole Kristian Nottveit (Norway). The Rallycross rebels team were very satisfied with this start as it meant the Irishman would start from pole position in Heat 1 on Saturday. Gear selection problems in Heat 1 meant Tohill was left stranded on the start line leaving the Irishman with only 9th fastest time. This meant good results would be a necessity in Heat 2 & 3 on Sunday.

Heat 2 on Sunday morning started in fine style for the Irishman as he pulled out a big lead over his rivals. But, the Teng Tools backed Fiesta came to a sudden halt on the final lap. This put the Rallycross rebels team under pressure to try and repair the car for the 3rd and final qualifying heat. If Irishman did not get a good result in the 3rd heat it would mean no final, no points and an early journey home. The Rallycross Rebels team diagnosed the problem to be a broken crank trigger wheel and crank sensor. The team fitted the necessary new parts and the car was ready for the final qualifying heat.

Heat 3 were nervous times for Tohill and his team as the Irishman would have to finish the heat to ensure a place in the finals but Tohill would also have to push to ensure the Irishman was not too far down the grid in the B final. Tohill fittingly put in a stunning display of Rallycross driving to win his heat and post the fastest overall time by over 3 seconds. This was a display of what the team could have achieved had the previous 2 heats been without problems. This ensured Tohill qualified directly into the B final. A win in the B final was a must if the Irishman was to qualify for the A final and score some useful championship points.

Tohill drove a perfect B final, easing away from ex European champion Jos Sterkens (Belgium) to take victory and a place on the back row of the all important A final. Tohill made a blistering start in the A final to climb to 3rd place at the entry to turn one. But, then the 2009 European Champion Borseth hit the rear of Tohill’s car sending him into the side of the BMW driven by Belgian Guino Kenis. The BMW driver then hit the rear of Tohill’s Fiesta. All of this damage meant the rear axle and brake assembly were both bent as well as a loss of power steering and brakes. The engine was also down on power at this point so all Tohill could do was try and nurse the car home safely. This was proving rather difficult as the BMW of Kenis decided to wait up a lap and take the Irishman out of the race. But, Tohill avoided giving the BMW driver this opportunity and finished in 5th place overall. This has meant the Irishman is now placed 3rd in the overall championship standings.

The Rallycross Rebels team now take the long journey to Sweden for round 5 of the championship. Tohill commented “This weekend we had good speed but we just didn’t have sufficient reliability. The team have worked so hard to repair the car and I am disappointed with 5th place as we all deserved more. Guino Kenis was excluded for his unsporting behaviour which is the correct decision made by the FIA but it’s harmed our championship. We will have to work very hard in advance of Sweden to ensure we can fight again for victory. If we can win in Sweden it will keep our championship alive and be a nice reward for Gunnarsson Motorsports home event who have worked so hard with us on the Fiesta. It’s probably the most challenging circuit in the world of Rallycross and with 25,000 plus spectators a near formality, motivation is easy and we will try and put on a good show for everyone!”

All rounds of the European Rallycross Championship are being covered by Motors TV and will air in the week after each race. Click on the link below for TV schedule details:

http://www.motorstv.com/car/rally/european-rallycross/22042010/erc-irishman-returns-european-rallycross
On-line Video action from Round 4 in Hungary: http://www.vimeo.com/12495615