2015 British Rallycross Championship revs into life at CroftProtagonists warm up with starring Top Gear TV appearanceMost competitive line-up in years set to do high-octane battleIf you happened to tune into cult BBC motoring show Top Gear last night, you will likely have a fair idea of the kind of high-octane thrills ‘n’ spills that will be on display at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire this weekend (15 March).In the episode, presenter James May – or ‘Captain Slow’, as his colleagues Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond like to teasingly call him – was keen to shake off his unenviable nickname by demonstrating his skills behind the wheel of a flame-spitting, 600bhp RX Supercar, a mean machine capable of out-accelerating a Formula One car from 0-60mph.Unfortunately, James only succeeded in living up to his moniker, and whilst there was a breathtaking wheel-to-wheel duel for supremacy in the race that took place at Lydden Hill – watched by more than five million TV viewers – he trailed some way behind the victory fight. Glory went the way of defending FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, following a thrilling tussle with Top Gear USA host and multiple X Games medalist Tanner Foust.Although May ultimately reinforced his ‘Captain Slow’ reputation, he was palpably blown away by the rallycross experience in his ‘turbocharged tornado’ RX Supercar. Both Clarkson and Hammond were similarly enthusiastic, endorsing the sport as ‘brilliant’ and ‘fabulous’ respectively – with all three inferring that it is more exciting than F1.If you enjoyed the action and are eager to see more of it, then you don’t have long to wait, as the revitalised and eagerly-anticipated 2015 MSA British Rallycross Championship will rev into life at Croft this weekend – with many of the leading lights having participated in the making of the Top Gear spectacular, including Julian Godfrey, Ollie O’Donovan and Kevin Procter.A fantastic field has been assembled for the Croft event, comprising more than 60 entries across seven different classes, from the headline-grabbing MSA Supercars to SuperNationals / Super 1600, Hot Hatch and BMW MINI, Suzuki Swifts, Suzuki Swift Juniors, RX150 Buggies and the ever-popular, blast-from-the-past Retro Rallycross.Amongst the star names will be the likes of reigning British Champion Godfrey, former title-winner O'Donovan, fellow front-runners Steve Harris and Steve Hill and Grand Prix hero Procter, whilst British and European Rallycross legend Pat Doran will return to the competitive fray full-time in a Citroën DS3.There is even an ex-World Rallycross Peugeot 208 Supercar for Andy Scott, and fans’ favourite ‘Mad’ Mark Watson will be sure to please the crowds in his strikingly-liveried Citroën Xsara T16. Countless other Croft ‘locals’ are similarly primed to do entertaining battle on-and-off-road, leaving circuit manager Mike Cantelo to predict an exhilarating opener to the 2015 campaign.“The British Rallycross Championship will kick-start Croft’s 2015 racing calendar, and it is set to be an incredible event with the most competitive and mouth-watering line-up in years,” he enthused. “It will be interesting to see if the guys who took part in the Top Gear filming managed to pick up any tips from their World Championship counterparts – they will certainly all be hoping their brush with ‘Captain Slow’ has not rubbed off on them!“It’s a great value family day out, with some superb sideways action guaranteed. Gravel and sparks are sure to fly, and the racing will be fast-and-furious and extremely unpredictable. If you liked what you saw on Top Gear, then make sure you don’t miss the chance to see it all up close at Croft this weekend!”Tickets are available on the gate priced at just £15, with children aged 15 and under admitted free.