O’Donovan aims for World Rallycross semi-final

Former British Rallycross champion Ollie O’Donovan is gearing up to make his third FIA World Rallycross Championship start of the season in Argentina today. The Irish driver will fill the seat left vacant by Jacques Villeneuve, who won’t complete his maiden World RX season.

O’Donovan was asked to drive for the Albatec team by owner Andy Scott while out flying. “I was out in the helicopter when I received a text message from Andy asking if I would like to drive the car in Argentina, but when I landed I had no phone reception so had to wait for three hours. Of course I said yes!” said the 2007 British champion, who has realistic expectations about making his first start in a current specification Supercar. “It’s going to be a steep learning curve there wasn’t time to test but that’s nothing new to me, I’ve never tested any Supercar I’ve raced before the first time I’ve raced it. This weekend will give me an insight into a latest specification car, compared to my older Focus. It’s going to be a huge event and I’m really looking forward to it, a very good way to finish a very good year,” continued the Irishman, who won two rounds of the British Championship this year [Lydden Hill and Croft], and also raced in World Championship events in Great Britain and France, driving his own car. He wants to score points for the Albatec team at San Luis.

“I went to Loheac in September and was only half a second a lap off the pace. It will be great if I can score some points to help Albatec in the teams championship, that’s an important part of the weekend. I hope after a couple of heats I’m settled into the car, and if I can get onto the back of a semi-finals I’d be ecstatic. I don’t expect to be Andy’s pace, but if I get enough runs with no damage, I think I can near to him. Learning new tracks doesn’t bother me. I’ll just take it as it comes.”

The Irishman plans to race in selected World Rallycross events next season alongside a championship campaign in the British Rallycross Championship.

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