Binks looking for more after Best Buy deal

Ford Fiesta VI driver expanding his Rallycross programme.

British Rallycross driver David Binks is set to expand his activities and drive in several European Rallycross Championship events alongside his commitment to a full British championship programme in 2011. Binks has announced the increased calendar of events after securing backing for his 2011 British season from American electrical goods retailer Best Buy whose blue and yellow colours adorned his Fiesta ST Supercar when it was unveiled at Autosport International.

“I put everything possible into driving the Fiesta last year, it was a step up from what I’d done previously and I wanted to prove that I could compete for wins if I had a winning car,” said Binks, “I won two British events and finished third in the championship and the results have helped to get this deal which means I can try and take the next step. I’m determined to win the British championship – someone has got to knock Pat [Doran] off his pedestal and will also do some European events.”

Binks will start his series of selected ERC events with the championship opener at Lydden on Easter weekend and is planning to add the ‘local’ events in France, Belgium and Holland to his programme. “My long term aim is to do a full European season and this is a step in that direction that will allow me and the team to gain more experience of the ERC. If we get on well in the close to home events and things are going well in the British championship, I will try and add some more ERC events at the end of the season,” said Binks.

Although he won twice and was a title threat into the last half of the year, Binks’ 2010 BRC campaign also bore the marks of a tight budget; at Mallory Park in August he was forced to withdraw after an engine problem in the second heat as continuing in the event would have risked a total engine failure that would have brought a premature end to his season.

Despite the tie with Best Buy, which is also a sponsor of Richard Petty Enterprises NASCAR Sprint Cup team, Binks says he is not even thinking about American Rallycross events at present. “It would be fantastic to drive in America, but my focus is totally on winning the British championship and learning more about the European series,” he said.

Binks (27) is among the younger Supercar drivers in Rallycross but has already amassed 11-years of competition experience having started racing in Minicross as a 16-year-old. After winning the Minicross championship in 2001 He moved up to the mainstream Rallycross classes with a SuperModified ‘BMW’ Mini at the end of 2003. The move to the Supercar class came with a Group N-based Mitsubishi Lancer Evo at the end of the 2005 season. The Lancer was replaced by an ex-Doran Fiesta ST for the 2010 BRC.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.