KENT-based stars Will Gollop and Pat Doran, out of action since round three of the MSA British Rallycross Championship at Easter, return to Lydden on Bank Holiday Monday.

They will be out to end the five-event winning streak of defending champion Dermot Carnegie.

Gollop, from Canterbury, started the year by winning round one of the championship, but component supply problems have kept him on the sidelines since his Ford Focus Supercar suffered engine failure in round three.

He said: “It’s been frustrating not being able to race, specially after we were so competitive at the start of the championship. I’ve missed three events so there’s no chance to do anything in the championship, but I want to get some good results at the end of the year.”

The Easter event was also the end of Doran’s title bid, three consecutive non-finishes being enough for the rider from Milstead, near Sittingbourne, to retire his Ford RS200.

As his new Ford Fiesta RS-based challenger will not be ready until 2005, Doran will race an Escort WRC at Lydden.

He said: “I have an Escort World Rally Car and we have been busy turning it into a Rallycross car. I’m going to use it in the last four rounds of the championship, starting at Lydden.”

After non-scoring in the first round of the championship, where the engine in his Ford Focus blew up, Carnegie (Dublin) has produced a remarkable run of five consecutive event wins and is now within striking distance of championship leader Lawrence Gibson.

A consistent run of top three finishes through the first five events allowed Gibson (Banbridge) to move ahead in the championship, before a heavy crash in round six at Pembrey last month.

Gibson is now working to repair the damage of the crash and be on the start line at Lydden by rebuilding his MG Metro 6R4 into a new bodyshell.

Gibson said: “I still have a good chance of winning the championship so we’re doing everything possible to be at Lydden. “I’m not going to give in easily."