Hirani signs for OMSE as rallycross testing begins in the UK

by Hal Ridge |

Kenyan RX Lites driver Tejas Hirani will contest a full season in the FIA World Rallycross Championship support category this season in an OlsbergsMSE run car. Hirani’s plans, following his first three events in the RX Lites Cup last season, were announced at a press conference in Nairobi on Friday. “I am humbled and excited at the prospect of taking part in the upcoming championship as the first and only African,” said Hirani. “This is a dream come true for me and my goal is to win.”

Tejas Hirani will race for OMSE in 2016 in RX Lites. ©RallycrossWorld.com/Hal Ridge

The first rallycross action of the year took place in Britain last weekend at a test day at Lydden Hill. Supercar racer Mark Flaherty drove his Ford Focus Supercar for the first time since sustaining a huge crash at the Spanish round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship last September. Mike Jones ran his ex-works Super1600 Suzuki Swift, while double-British Rallycross Suzuki Swift champion Tristan Ovenden sampled a Peter Gwynne Motorsport Super1600 version of the machine for the first time. Swift championship promoters PGM ran a number of existing rallycross drivers and newcomers in single-make Suzuki Swifts, while Jake Taylor drove a Swift hired from fellow competitor, Aiden Hills. Several Hot Hatch racers also took advantage of the rare opportunity of being able to test on a rallycross circuit in the UK.

Ovenden swapped his regular Swift for a Super1600 version at Lydden Hill test day. ©RallycrossWorld.com/Hal Ridge

The fourth round of the Andros Trophy ice racing series will be held this weekend at Isola. DA Racing’s Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Renault Clio) is currently top of the points table, while younger brother Andrea (Renault Clio) is sixth and World RX front runner Toomas Heikkinen (Mazda 3) is eighth, having won one event this season so far.

JB Dubourg currently leads the Andros Trophy standings at the halfway stage. ©RallycrossWorld.com/DA Racing

Guy Meulemans died on December 31. Meulemans (50) was a leading light in the organisation and promotion of events at the Glossocircuit at Arendonk, up to and including the European championship, which last visited the small Belgian circuit in 1993.

Guy Meulemans sadly died on December 31. He played a key role in European Championship events at Arendonk, Belgium. Pictured above, in 1987, Martin Schanche leads Seppo Niittymaki, Matti Alamaki and Olle Arnesson in front of a packed crowd. ©RallycrossWorld.com/Tim Whittington

World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg will star at the Autosport International show next week at the NEC in Birmingham (UK). Solberg will perform in the Live Action Arena in his Citroen Xsara WRC, while also giving interviews on the Autosport Stage and signing autographs.

 

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