John Welch lookalike Escort

British racer Lee Wood is taking part in the BTRDA’s Classic Rallycross Championship with a MkII Escort dressed up to look like John Welch’s 1984 car.

Welch took the first of his two British rallycross Championships in 1984 (the second following in 1986 when he became the first driver to win the title and its coveted ‘GB1’ race niumber in a four-wheel drive car). In ’84 welch used the ex-Martin Schanche MkII Escort equipped with a Zakspeed turbocharged engine.

Wood, more economically, is running a two-litre Pinto in his car at present. It’s a period MkII Escort rallycross car with some previous history which Wood, a successful Hot Rod racer in the UK, has rebuilt for his maiden rallycross season.

Back in 1984, Welch won three of that year’s five British Championship events to take the title and used the success as the springboard to step up to an Xtrac Escort four-wheel drive car.