Loeb for Loheac RallycrossRX

Sebastien Loeb will race in the FIA European Rallycross Championship at Loheac.

Already expected to be the biggest RallycrossRX event of the year, Loeb’s presence at the birthplace of French rallycross will only strengthen the event.  The nine-time World Rally champion has accepted an invitation from event organiser Ecurie Bretagne to race in the event and will drive a Citroen DS3 Supercar. Loeb has driven a rallycross car in competition just once before, taking a Hansen Motorsport-built DS3 to the X Games in Los Angeles last July where he recorded a clear victory.

Relishing the opportunity to race again, and specially as that chance comes at Loheac, Loeb is not expecting an easy ride in the event. “2013 is definitely a year full of challenges. I received an invitation from the [Rallycross Loheac] organiser Patrick Germain, and I decided to answer positively,” said Loeb. “Apart from the X Games, I have no experience in Rallycross so I will probably have to fight hard against fast specialists in a very high level championship. I enjoyed my experience at the X Games last year and I expect something similar. Loheac is the temple of Rallycross.  This is a well-known event with always a very big crowd. In a sportive side, this is also a very tough race. I couldn’t let this opportunity to participate at least once in my career pass, especially because it is with a Citroën DS3. I am looking forward to go to Loheac, meet the fans and race there.”

The RallycrossRX event will add a further dimension to Loeb’s already diverse 2013 season. Alongside selected events in the World Rally Championship with Citroen, the 39-year-old Frenchman is contesting rounds of the FIA GT championship in a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 with his own team and will tackle the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in July with a specially built Peugeot 208 T16.

The first rallycross in France took place at Loheac in 1976 and the picturesque village, close to Redon in Brittany, has been at the centre of French rallycross ever since, even though the FIA European championship has not visited since 2001. A trip to Loheac is a pilgrimage on the must-do list of all rallycross fans. The event itself has all that is great about a motor sport event in France, and with the hidden gem that is the Manoir de l’Automobile on the same site it’s a weekend that will not fail to satisfy.

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