Guy Martin to race rallycross Supercar in British Championship

One of the leading names from the world of motorcycle road racing, Guy Martin, will compete in a round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship this season.

Formerly a lorry mechanic and more recently a successful television presenter, Martin isn’t unused to trying a range of different machinery and will make his rallycross debut in a European Rallycross Championship round winning Ford Focus Supercar.

The event that Martin will race at is yet to be decided, as he is under contract with Channel 4 until summer 2016. He will drive a Jos Kupyers built Focus, used by Kevin Procter to win the French round of the 2012 European Championship and currently owned by Ollie O’Donovan and prepared by Tony Bardy Motorsport. O’Donovan used the car to win a pair of British Championship events in 2014. “It’s something different and that always excites me,” said Martin. “I’m looking forward to the challenge some time later in the year subject to other commitments.”

Prior to competing in the yet to be announced event, Martin will be given a test day in the Supercar, in the UK. “Guy is a huge name. Many people will know who he is without being heavily into motorsport or bike racing. It’s a pleasure to have him compete as part of our team,” said Ollie O’Donovan. “I’m sure Guy will have no problem learning to drive the car, but we will go through everything with him at a test session to give him the best chance possible at whichever event he does. We’re all really excited to be working with him, he’s a real racer and I think rallycross will suit him very well.”

The last television presenter to make a Supercar debut was Top Gear’s James May at a demonstration World RX event in December 2014. Previous to May’s outing in a Marklund Motorsport VW Polo, Tiff Needell, who raced at the MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix in 1988 and 1989 in a Will Gollop prepared MG Metro 6R4, and made select outings in the BRDA Championship in 1997 driving a Vauxhall Nova. The most recent high profile motorcyclist to race in British Rallycross was British Superbike racer Leon Haslam, who drove a Suzuki Swift at Mallory Pak in 2009.

The Focus in which Martin will compete will be on display at the Autosport International this week at the NEC in Birmingham, UK (14^th – 17^th January), on a stand promoting the British Rallycross Championship and Team RX Racing, where Martin will attended on Saturday and Sunday to sign autographs.

Julian Godfrey Engineering will launch its new Supercar Custom engine for World RX competition on the same stand, while recently formed firm SGS Racing Transmissions will display a gearbox, alongside an RX150 buggy. Liam Doran’s Citroen DS3 is also expected to be on display at the NEC. You can buy tickets for the Autosport International, here.

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