Tony makes the trip to a venue known as the ‘Devil’s Hill Circuit’ sitting second in the championship standings behind defending champion Dave Bellerby.

This weekend will mark Tony’s second outing at the Maasmechelen circuit although he will be keen to avoid a repeat of the result he gained last season, when an incident on the opening lap of the final robbed him of any chance of victory.

With one victory under his belt already this season – in the opening round of the year at Lydden Hill – Tony and his Team Geriatric-run Suzuki head to Belgian soil knowing that a maximum score this weekend will see him reclaim the championship lead at the mid-way point of the season.

“I’m really looking forward to the trip to Belgium,” he said. “Although we had a disappointing result there last season, it was a great experience and it’s a fun circuit to drive.

“There are 14 cars making the trip this weekend and it’s going to be vital to push hard in the heats to try and secure pole position because it isn’t easy to overtake. The start of the races will be crucial as the first corner is a long right-hander leading into a right-hand hairpin, and with pole position being on the right-hand side of the circuit, it could make all the difference. Last season, Dave was able to get ahead through the first few corners and was then able to just pull away from the chasing pack, which is what I hope to do this time around.

“The boys have worked hard to make sure the car is in the best shape possible and I’m really up for it for the weekend. If I can get a maximum score then I’ll be back on top of the points at the halfway point of the championship and that’s the aim for the weekend. We’ve been quick at every event and a second win of the year would be the perfect way to end the first half of the season.”

The weekend began steadily as Iddon set about learning the new 3 mile configuration, having only previously completed a small number of testing laps since the circuit was opened in February. Iddon completed Friday’s free practice sessions in 22nd and 16th respectively. For Qualifying, Iddon stepped up the pace, finishing 11th quickest.

Iddon maintained his 11th place grid slot at the start of Saturday’s sprint race. Chasing down TT winner , Gary Johnson, Iddon was able to make his move on lap 5. He held a tighter line through the fast left hander of Hamilton, giving him a better run toward Oggies; where he made the pass stick.

Iddon began to pull away from the group of riders behind him, building a lead of over a second. Unfortunately, on the last couple of laps, Iddon’s rear tyre was past it’s best and he began to fall back. By the chequered flag, Johnson had regained 10th position, leaving Iddon to cross the line in 11th.

For the feature race, Iddon would again start from 11th on the grid. This time he managed to gain a place in turn one, as the field battled for position around Riches. On lap two, he made a further place, after a mistake from Lee Johnston.

On lap 3 however, Iddon’s race was over when he crashed out at Coram. As he rounded the long right hander, he lost the front of his Triumph and slid out. Unhurt but unable to continue, Iddon could only look on as the race was once again won by the rampant Alastair Seeley.

Iddon commented: “I am disappointed with how the weekend has panned out. It didn’t seem to matter what we tried, we just couldn’t get the Oxford TAG Triumph to work for me.

“In the first race, I made a decent start but I was having to ride too hard. I made it up to 10th, but by the end of the race the rear tyre had gone. I just started to lose too much time.

“We tried some changes quite drastic changes for morning warm-up, but it didn’t seem to feel any different.

“The start of the feature race was a bit hectic. Someone sat it up in the middle of Riches on the first lap and ran a couple of people out wide. I was able to squeeze through on the inside. I had made it up to ninth but it was short lived.

“I lost the front coming round Coram on lap 3. I had been having front end trouble all weekend and it just washed out. I am looking forward to moving on to Oulton Park. It’s my home circuit and we had a bit of a bad luck there earlier in the year, so it’s time to go and make a mends. We know the Oxford TAG Triumph works well around there, so hopefully we can be back in contention.”

Iddon will be back on track at his home circuit of Oulton Park over the weekend of 16th/17th July for round 7 of the championship.

Having shown great promise over the last few rounds of this fiercely-contested championship but having been plagued by bad luck due to minor technical issues and being taken out while running near the front of the pack in previous races, Christian’s patience and determination finally paid off with a superb third-placed finish in difficult, changeable conditions.

Throughout Friday and Saturday, heavy rain and blustery winds made the undulating Scottish track a real challenge, with Christian qualifying 15th.

While qualifying was disappointing, Saturday’s rain-lashed race showed that Christian had taken a step forward, finishing in tenth place.

Having posted the fifth fastest time in race one, Christian made full use of his elevated grid position for race two with a flawless start to slot straight into the leading pack and he ended the race with a well-earned third place finish.

“The weekend started off with a real challenge to find a set-up and to find gearing that works,” he said. “I really struggled through practice and qualifying but everyone worked so hard and pulled together. The bike was great for the first race, in fact it was incredible. It took a while to get used to it but by mid-race we were on the pace so that got me a top ten but up to fifth on the grid for race two so that was good.

“Morning warm-up showed that we were way off with the gearing so we changed that and got it absolutely spot-on for the race. I was a bit wary of the conditions early on which maybe cost me the chance to get away with Wilson and Seeley but once I’d settled into a rhythm it was a case of racing my pit board and making sure I stayed on the podium. I’ve just got to thank everyone in the team – no one let their head get down when we were struggling and in the end it really paid off. I know I can run at the front now and I’m sure there’s more to come.”

The weekend’s action marked the first appearance at Mondello Park for the Suzuki Swift Rallycross Championship, with Tony heading into the event seeking to secure his second victory of the 2011 season.

Tony was one of only two drivers in the Suzuki field with past experience of the Mondello Park circuit and it paid dividends when he won his first qualifying heat of the weekend. A slight coming-together with Jonny Bean in the second heat prevented Tony from taking another win but he responded with a fine run in heat three, where he picked up the bonus point on offer for setting the fastest lap time of the day.

The end result for Tony and his Team Geriatric Suzuki was second on the grid for the final. Having gone three wide with championship rival Dave Bellerby and Adam Clark into the first corner, Tony slotted into second behind Bellerby and then followed the defending champion home to pick up more vital championship points.

Following the weekend, Tony retains second place behind Bellerby in the championship standings and is just three points adrift going into next month’s trip to the Maasmechelen circuit in Belgium for round four.

“I had a good start to the weekend in the opening heat but then in the second, I got a bit sideways and got clipped by Jonny Bean as he tried to come through,” Tony said. “It meant I had to push in the third heat to get fastest time of the day because that bonus point could make all the difference at the end of the year.

“In the final, we were three wide into the first corner but Dave managed to just squeeze up the inside to get ahead. I pushed hard to try and get past and I did have a bit of a lunge at one point, but then he managed to get a bit of a gap and I used my head and settled for second. It would have been stupid to push too hard and throw it off the road – you don’t get any points if you bin it!

“Getting fastest time of the day means Dave has only extended his lead to three points and that means that I’ll take the championship lead back if I can win and get fastest time of the day in Belgium next month, which is the target. Of course it’s a little disappointing that we’ve not come away from Ireland with another win, but we’ve kept the pressure on Dave and have broken away a bit from the chasing pack.”

Although the Suzuki Swift Rallycross Championship will be appearing at the Irish circuit for the first time, Tony and his Team Geriatric team have competed at the venue in the past, with his last outing on Irish soil coming in 2009 en-route to the Stockhatch championship.

Tony heads into the weekend sitting second in the Suzuki standings but he is just a single point behind defending champion Dave Bellerby despite a tough outing last time out at Blyton.

Having already won once this season – in the opening round of the campaign at Lydden Hill – Tony goes into the weekend seeking to get back ahead of his rival in the standings in what is likely to be another action-packed meeting for the Suzuki drivers.

“We’ve not been to Mondello Park with the Suzuki before, but both myself and Dave have experience of the circuit and that could put us in a good position this weekend,” Tony said. “The fact I’ve raced at Mondello in the past could give me a bit of advantage compared to some of the Suzuki drivers, but it’s so close that that experience could make a big difference.

“I was disappointed with my performance at Blyton as I thought we could extend our points lead there and instead I came away from the weekend having dropped down to second place. However, I’m only a point behind Dave and a good weekend in Ireland could see me back on top.

“It isn’t like last season when Dave was able to build a championship lead and then defend it as the year went on; it’s much closer and we need to score well in every race left if we are going to fight for the title.”

Iddon scored his best ever British Supersport Championship result, finishing 7th in the sprint race on Sunday. He looked on course to better that in Monday’s feature race before getting tangled in Steve Plater’s crash and failing to finish.

The weekend began steadily, with Iddon ending the two free practice sessions in 9th and 12th respectively.

Iddon improved his lap times in qualifying, again ending 9th fastest. Although he was quick through the high speed second sector, he felt there was more to come on the more technical first sector.

Starting from the front of the third, Iddon had a platform from which to attack. He duly did, moving up to 7th in the early stages. After losing a place to Dean Hipwell on lap 3, Iddon was back up to 7th when Jack Kennedy crashed out.

As Hipwell made a move on Paul Young, Iddon saw a chance to follow him through, but thought better of making a risky move on his experienced team-mate. After that, Iddon struggled to find a way past Young, leaving the front 5 riders to break clear. Iddon to the flag in seventh place, his best finish of the season.

The weather for Monday’s feature race was grim. Persistent rain all afternoon had left plenty of standing water on the track causing heavy spray. Iddon began steadily, and made sure he safely negotiated the early exchanges.

When the field settled down, Iddon became embroiled in a race long battle with his team-mate Billy McConnell and Steve Plater. By lap 11 the three were still battling for 6th position. McConnell lead them into the high speed right hander of Church. Plater made a move up the inside in Iddon but looked to be running slightly wide. As he tried to get back to the inside line he high-sided. Iddon had nowhere to go and struck the stricken Padgetts Honda, ending his race.

The race was red flagged, as Jack Kennedy had crashed out at the same time, and with two-thirds distance completed; was called a result.

Iddon escaped largely unhurt from the crash, although Steve Plater sadly suffered a broken left humerous.

“I am obviously disappointed with how the weekend has ended up for us. I felt strong in the first race and scored a good 7th place finish and I was going well again in the second before the crash,” Iddon reflected. “It was turning into a real good battle between myself, Billy [McConnell] and Steve Plater. We had all passed each other a couple of times.

” Plater came past me on the run into Church, but I thought he was going to run wide with the speed he was carrying. So, I was lining him up to go back through on the inside. I think was trying to hold the tighter line and suddenly he had a massive high-side. I didn’t really have anywhere to go and just couldn’t avoid his bike.

“I am fine, though I think I got caught by the bike after I had come off, so I am a little sore. I have heard Steve has broken his arm, which is obviously sad news. I wish him a speedy recovery.

“The first race went OK, I felt good at the start and maybe should have made the break with the leading five. I watched Hipwell go through on Youngy which created a bit of a gap. I thought about going for it, but to be honest it was a difficult pass to try and make, especially on your team-mate. After that, I never really managed to get a good run on him.

“The Oxford TAG Triumphs are working really well at the moment, which the boys have proven with their wins. I am looking forward to getting to the next round at Knockhill, where hopefully it will be my turn to celebrate.”

It was a good weekend all round for the Oxford TAG Triumph squad as Billy McConnell won the sprint race from pole position and Paul Young made a late charge to take victory in the feature race.

The Oxford TAG Triumph rider had never ridden the Croft circuit prior to the weekend, so he faced an uphill battle to break his 2011 duck.

Iddon was happy following the opening practice session, after posting the eleventh best lap time. On a damp track, Iddon found himself to be competitive even though he was still familiarising himself with the bumps of the Yorkshire track.

The 26-year-old’s weekend took a turn for the worse when he crashed out of the second practice session. On his first quick lap of the session, Iddon ran too deep into the left hander approaching the complex. Once he was on the wet grass there was no way of slowing the Triumph before hitting the barrier. Sensing the impending impact, Iddon laid the machine down. Although he hit his head on the tyre wall, Iddon walked away unscathed.
Having only completed 5 laps, and having to sit out the remainder of the session, Iddon lost valuable track time.

Iddon’s first flying lap, on a dry track, didn’t come until the one and only qualifying session. A combination of the crash and a lack of laps meant he was struggling to live up to the standards he had set at the opening two rounds. Iddon could only finish the session in 20th.

From 20th on the grid, Iddon made an impressive start; gaining 5 places on the opening lap. From then on however, Iddon was unable to keep in touch with the group in front. When the race was brought to a premature conclusion, following an accident, Iddon was still in 15th position. That was good enough to secure his maiden championship point of the season.
For the feature race, Iddon was 19th on the grid. He made another useful start, this time picking up three places in the early exchanges.

On the second lap, Iddon hit trouble. Oxford TAG Triumph team-mate Paul Young high-sided at the hairpin. The stricken Triumph then brought down Luke Stapleford’s Kawasaki. As Iddon came round the left-hander, he braked hard to avoid the wreckage but struck one of the rider-less machines. Having scrubbed just enough speed, Iddon managed to stay upright but was forced to back up to get round the blockage.

By this time, he had dropped to 23rd. A determined Iddon went on a charge. Over the next laps, he caught and passed 9 riders and had 12th place in his sights. However, the aggressive riding had taken its toll on his tyres. Iddon just didn’t have the grip to make up any further places and had to settle for 14th at the chequered flag.

Afterwards Iddon stated: “It’s been a tough weekend for us really, but we have managed to score points in both races. We haven’t been able to match the pace that we have had at the opening two rounds yet had our two best finishes. Sometimes that’s just how things go.

“I had never ridden here before, so I have to be positive about the results. The damp track in first practice was a bit of a leveller and I was competitive. I was hoping that we might get similar conditions for the race, so that I would have a better chance.

“The crash of Friday was a big stumbling block for me. I just down shifted going in and when I released the clutch the rear just locked up. As soon as I got on the grass I had no chance of saving it. I was OK, but I hit my head pretty hard. The worst thing about it was having to sit out the rest of the session. I needed all the time I could get really, just to learn the track.

“We had some more bad luck in the race when Paul [Young] crashed in front of me. I just had nowhere to go. I then battled back pretty well and I thought I could get the two ahead of me, but the tyres had nothing left.”

“At least I have scored some points, and we can now build on that as we go to Thruxton for round four.”

Tony headed into the event leading the Suzuki standings following victory in the opening round of the season at Lydden Hill, and was keen to repeat the performance that saw him win under the Blyton lights last season.

After winning his opening heat, Tony’s luck took a turn for the worse in heat two after the Team Geriatric Suzuki was excluded for a jump start, which would then affect his position on the grid for the points scoring final.

A third place in the final heat meant a second row start for the final, but with heavy rain now falling, Tony got bogged down when the lights went out and dropped places off the line. Battling hard to regain the lost ground, Tony fought his way up to fifth place at the finish to add more vital points to his championship tally.

With Dave Bellerby finishing the final in third place, Tony has now slipped to second in the championship standings but is just a point behind the defending champion going into the third round of the year.

“Obviously we went to Blyton with every intention of fighting for victory again, but unfortunately it just didn’t go to plan,” Tony said. “There is always a weekend where things don’t go your way and Blyton was it.

“It was disappointing to be excluded for the false start in the heats as it really affected my chances in the final. The first corner at Blyton is very tight and you need to try and get to the front of the field at the start, but it wasn’t going to be easy from the second row. In the rain, I just got bogged down off the line and from then on, it was a case of getting the best result we could and scoring points for the championship.

“While it’s disappointing that we couldn’t get another win, we’re only a point away from the championship lead, so we’ve just got to put this weekend behind us and look forward to the rest of the year.”

Tony’s next outing in the Swift Sport Championship is at Mondello Park on 12 June.

In a change to the usual weekend format, free practice and qualifying will take place late on Saturday afternoon with the racing action then running well into the night under floodlights at the Lincolnshire circuit.

Tony and his team, Team Geriatric, head to Blyton on the back of a winning start to the 2011 season at Lydden Hill, where Tony saw off the challenge of a bumper Suzuki grid to secure the first victory of the year.

In the gap between the first two rounds of the British season, Tony returned to Lydden Hill to take part in a demonstration with fellow Swift Sport Rallycross drivers during the opening event of the European Rallycross Championship season, with a bumper crowd of more than 10,000 being entertained.

With the focus now firmly back on his championship campaign, Tony makes the trip to Blyton seeking to win for the second successive season after his maiden victory in the Suzukis came in the corresponding event in 2010.

“Winning last season at Blyton was fantastic although we got a bit of luck as the race was red-flagged and we won after the restart,” he said. “I’m keen to take another win this season but without needing a second chance, and I’m going to Blyton keen to try and repeat the performance I put in at Lydden Hill in round one.

“I know it won’t be easy as I think Dave Bellerby is still the quickest driver out there in the Suzukis, but we showed we can beat him at Lydden Hill and the whole team will be working hard to do it again this weekend.

“Leading the championship at this point in the year is nice, but we have to push hard to make sure we’re leading when it really matters at the end of the season.”