Drivers confirm British and European rallycross campaigns

The news from the last seven days mainly centered around the MSA British Rallycross Championship, where a number of drivers have committed to the series in the Supercar category for the coming season.

The most unlikely of the announced Supercar entrants to date has been British Touring Car Championship race-winner Dave Newsham, who will swap disciplines to race a Ford Fiesta Supercar in British RX for the Power Maxed Racing team. Team owner Adam Weaver had initially intended to race the ex-Marcin Wicik car, but has instead stepped aside to allow Newsham his first full season of rallycross. The circuit racer made his rallycross debut in a Craig Lomax Citroen Saxo at the Rallycross Grand Prix at Croft in 2014. “Rallycross will take a bit of getting used to as I’ve spent the last few seasons trying to avoid the gravel but getting behind the wheel of a 600bhp monster is going to be fantastic, I can’t wait,” said Newsham

Former British champion Ollie O’Donovan announced his plans to compete in the British and European Rallycross Championships this season. The Irishman will race his Ford Focus Supercar at Croft next week, before switching to his ex-Patrick Van Mechelen Ford Fiesta later in the season, which is currently being rebuilt by Tony Bardy Motorsport. “We had a really strong year last season and we need to build on that performance going forward. We have the pace and I really want to win the British Championship again, that’s my goal,” said O’Donovan. “I’d really like to be on the podium at a European event this season too.”

Multiple champion Pat Doran has also committed to racing in the British Championship for a full campaign. He will drive the Citroen C4 that carried his son Liam to his first X Games gold medal in 2011. Doran will run in the LD Motorsports team alongside Supercar newcomer Dan Rooke. Steve Harris is expected to continue his relationship with the squad in a third DS3. The trio tested at Lydden Hill on Thursday ahead of the season opener at Croft next week. “We are going to run the car in similar colours to how Liam used it in the European Championship in 2010. It may not be the latest technology, but it’s strong and steady. It’s not as quick as the DS3 but I’m not the youngest on the grid either, so it will do me just fine,” Doran told the MSA British Rallycross Championship website.

World Rallycross event-winner Reinis Nitiss has announced that he will not drive for the OlsbergsMSE team this season, via his facebook page. In the post on Thursday, Nitiss thanked the Swedish squad for the last two years. Where the Latvian will drive in 2016 is yet to be announced.

Andri Oun has revealed that he will compete in the FIA European Rallycross Championship this season in the Reinsalu Sport Ford Fiesta Supercar that Janis Baumanis used to win the title last season. Oun will swap to a newer version of the machine later in the year.

Hungarian Lukacs Kornel has begun testing the Ford Focus Supercar that he will race in the European Championship this season. The former WRC3 driver undertook his first mileage in the ex-Koen Pauwels machine in his native country.

Two-time Swift Sport rallycross champion Tristan Ovenden will race in the Super1600 category of the British championship this season, in a car built and run by Peter Gwynne Motorsport. Ovenden sampled the machine at a test day at Lydden Hill in January. “I’ve had great support in Swift Sport for many years I am pleased to continue my relationship with Peter Gwynne Motorsport,” he said. “Having been given the opportunity to test the car at Lydden earlier this year, I think it has real potential and I’m looking forward to the new challenge.”

Alongside Dave Newsham, Swift Sport competitor Jake Taylor will also join the Power Maxed Racing team for 2015, to drive their Suzuki Swift rallycross car. Taylor moved from the MSA Junior category to the senior Swift class in 2015 and finished on the podium at the final round at Croft.

The Irish Rallycross Championship has announced its title sponsor for 2016 – Parts for Cars. The series gets underway on March 6. “Parts for Cars has had a long association with the Irish Rallycross Championship and we are delighted to be back again as title sponsors. We test many of our parts & people in the toughest of Rallycross conditions and we have always had great support from the Irish Rallycross community over the years,” said Derek Tohill, who will also take part in the opening round.

The second round of the Swedish RallyX On Ice series will be held at Salen, but will be without championship leader Sebastian Eriksson, who deputised for OMSE colleague Oliver Eriksson at the opening round in Pita and won. Oliver will race this weekend, as will GRC Supercar driver, Austin Dyne. The event will be broadcast live on Viasat Motor and Viaplay from 1400 local time (CET).

The BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship will host a pre-season test day at Blyton on Sunday, for competitors from both the Clubmans series and the British Championship. Almost 50 drivers have signed up to take part.

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