Jordan announced for Lydden in busy rallycross week

Former British Rallycross Supercar champion Andrew Jordan will race at the Motorsport News World RX of Great Britain next week, driving a Team Peugeot-Hansen Peugeot 208. Jordan won the British Touring Car Championship in 2013 and now drives for the Triple Eight MG team. He contested his home round of World RX last season in an OlsbergsMSE Fiesta. “Going to Lydden for the first time, the aim was to reach the semi-final, but this time I know I have the pace to be right up there with the top guys. You always need a bit of luck but, after the podium last year, the aim has to be to win. To finish on the podium was one of the coolest things I’ve done in motor sport – it was just an amazing feeling,” said Jordan.

Retro Rallycross will feature on the bill at the British round of World RX. While the regular British Championship Retro competitors will compete, a selection of Group B cars will also be on display, including Pat Doran’s Pikes Peak car, the classic Q8 liveried version and an ex-Will Gollop MG Metro 6R4.

“Rallycross was born at Lydden Hill back in the Sixties and so it’s only right that we maximise the high profile World Championship’s arrival in the UK to celebrate the sport’s history at its spiritual home,” said Doran. “Today’s generation of super-quick RX Supercars are just phenomenal but the crowds still love to see some of these magical machines from previous eras – that’s why it’s so important to include them on the World RX entertainment bill.”

The opening round of the RallyX Scandinavia Championship took place on a new circuit at Skovde, alongside the Swedish Touring Car Championship. In a dramatic final, Kevin Eriksson (Ford Fiesta) won on only his second Supercar start ahead of Lukas Walfridson (Renault Clio) and 2014 champion Sebastian Eriksson (Ford Fiesta), who led but succumbed to a puncture. Eric Faren (Peugeot 208) made his debut for the Hansen Development Team and finished fourth, while Linus Westman (Saab 93) finished fifth in an Eklund Motorsport Saab. Peter Hedstrom prepared for his Euro RX campaign in his Skoda Fabia. Niclas Gronholm (Ford Fiesta), son of Marcus Gronholm was unable to make it to the final. In the Lites Category, 2014 champion Kevin Hansen suffered broken suspension after hitting a rut in the final while leading, having victory to Simon Olofsson, who led home Tobias Brink and Sandra Haultgren. In the SuperNational category, Mattias Ohlsson (BMW M3) claimed the win ahead of Michael Olander (Saab 93) and Per Engstrand (Lexus IS200).

Meanwhile World Rallycross driver Johan Kristoffersson competed in Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia (the series he won in 2012) at the event and walked away with a double victory.

The third round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship was held at Pembrey in South Wales, where Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta) claimed his first victory of the season, ahead of series leader Andy Scott (Peugeot 208) and Andy Grant (Ford Focus), who was promoted to a podium spot when Steve Harris (Citroen DS3) succumbed to turbo failure. Former rally driver James Grint (Peugeot 208) made his Supercar debut for Albatec Racing ahead of his EuroRX campaign this season and finished fourth ahead of Harris, despite a spin in the final. Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Focus) finished sixth with a puncture, while top qualifier Kevin Procter had start line troubles and was then hit by Grint. He didn’t make it passed turn one. Stuart Emery (Peugeot 206) won in SuperNational ahead of Gareth Wood (Ford KA) and Allan Tapscott (Vauxhall Corsa). Suzuki Swift points leader Tristan Ovenden claimed his third victory in a row, while Bradley Durdin won the Junior category, ahead of debutant Sam Jones. Chrissy Palmer won in RX150, Craig Lomax (Citroen C2) finished first in Super1600. Tomasz Wielgosz (Peugeot 106) won in HotHatch while Ray Morgan (Ford Escort) was victorious in Retro Rallycross.

The third round of the Central Eastern Zone Rallycross Championship took place in Italy, on the converted autocross circuit at the Maggiora. 2014 World RX regular Jos Jansen won in Supercar, driving his Ford Focus, while Marcel Ottink (Skoda Fabia) finished second and Alois Holler (Ford Focus) in third. Zsolt Szijj (Suzuki Swift) claimed Super1600 while Czech rallycross star Roman Castoral (Opel Astra) won TouringCars -. Attila Toth won (BMW E36) TouringCars -.

The Dutch Rallycross Championship was again without TouringCars at Valkenswaard, where Peter van de Wege (Toyota Yaris) won in Super1600 ahead of Willem Veltman (Citroen C2). Steve Volders (Ford Escort) won SuperNational + while Martjn Vanhove (BMW E82) won SuperNatioal -.

In Ireland, Geoffrey Dolan (Opel Astra) won the inaugural event at Tynagh in Galway. Willie Coyne (Vauxhall Corsa) and Pat Ryan (Vauxhall Nova) finished three hundredths of a second apart to complete the Superfinal podium. 2014 World RX driver Derek Tohill raced at the event in the Ford Fiesta in which he won European TouringCar titles in, in 2010 and 2013.

Subaru Rally Team USA have been testing their new Subaru Impreza VT15x car to be driven by Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen in the 2015 Global Rallycoss Championship. While the regular drivers tested their new machines, Travis Pastrana tested last years version of the car in preparation for racing at X Games this summer.

The third round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Mettet this weekend also includes the opening round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship. Former WRC event winner Francois Duval will race the ex-triple European Championship winner Sverre Isachsen Ford Focus, while Tommy Rustad and Ole Christian Veiby will both race a VW Polo from Marklund Motorsport and VW Team Sweden. Finnish driver Riku Tahko will debut the first rallycross Custom Engine, read about that here.

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