TOHILL & PFCRX CLAIM PEMBREY PODIUM IN WEEKEND OF MIXED EMOTIONS
Reigning nine-time Irish Rallycross Champion Derek Tohill and the PFCRX team claimed a fifth-straight podium finish in the 2025 Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy at Pembrey Circuit in South Wales, but ultimately left the weekend wondering what might have been [July 26-27].
Former British and European Rallycross Champion Tohill entered the third double-header of the 5 Nations BRX campaign tied for the series lead, on the back of a double victory at Mondello Park in May.
Racing the team’s Peugeot 208 WRX, Tohill displayed front-running performance from the outset at the Pembrey venue that has returned mixed results for the PFCRX team in recent years.
Second fastest throughout qualifying on the opening day of competition, Tohill lined up on the front row of the grid for the final and delivered a strong performance to finish second in the race and remain well in the title fight.
With the Welsh circuit switched from a clockwise to anti-clockwise route for the second day on Sunday, feeling more suited to the layout, Tohill was even closer to the ultimate pace and despite a track limits penalty during qualifying, landed a front row start for the all-important final from which points are awarded.
And, in a bid to claim a first UK mainland victory in since 2023, Tohill and the Peugeot 208 WRX – supported by French outfit DA Racing – made the best launch to storm into the lead of the race. But, contact in turn two broke the 208’s rear suspension, the damage forcing Tohill to retire before the next corner.
Despite the disappointing result, Tohill lies second in the standings ahead of the next round of the season, where 5 Nations BRX joins the French Rallycross Championship at arguably the world’s biggest rallycross event at Loheac in France [Aug 30-31], which boasts a 35-strong Supercar field.
Derek Tohill | Supercar | Peugeot 208 WRX | #111
“Pembrey is always a tough place to go to because it's tight and technical, and you have to be very aware of the track markers and the white lines, which are not always easy to see. We’ve had a lot of poor fortune at Pembrey in the past, so we came into the weekend with no expectations at all. We had good pace, the revised run into the first corner is certainly an improvement and it was really good to get a solid result on Saturday, racing in the direction that I don’t prefer as much. The track on Sunday I much prefer, we were able to qualify for the front row of the final again, then got a great start, but it didn't last too long after that. I got a hard hit that broke the rear suspension, and it was game over; a disappointing way to end the weekend for the whole team. My love-hate relationship with Pembrey continues, but we will battle on. The championship is going to make it difficult now, but next we’re going to the ‘Holy Grail’ of rallycross at Loheac in France, and that will be amazing.”
