Sir Chris Hoy, TT legend John McGuinness set for one-off British Rallycross entries
Sir Chris Hoy and Isle of Man TT motorcycle legend John McGuinness will compete in one-off rounds of the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy this year
Six-time Olympic gold medallist Hoy, who made his rallycross debut in the Spanish round of the world championship last year in an Xite Racing Ford Fiesta as part of his Dream Jobs TV series, will race in the opening round of the four-round British RX series at Lydden Hill later this month, 30-31 August in a Liam Doran Citroen C4 Supercar.
He tested the ex-Hansen Motorsport Supercar for the first time at Lydden Hill three weeks ago, and again on Thursday at the series' pre-season launch and test day, also at the Kent circuit.
"I'm delighted and excited to be back in a rallycross car," said Hoy. "I got a taste last year with Dream Jobs. I thought it was a one-off but it was the one I enjoyed the most so I grabbed it with both hands when the opportunity to drive in the British Rallycross Championship came up.
"Driving into Lydden and seeing the track below is amazing. It's a spectacular arena - you can see why it's the Home of Rallycross. The track is really fun and exciting to drive. You can learn it quickly but it takes forever to perfect. It's perfect for novices like me and I'm really looking forward to racing."
23-time Isle of Man TT winner McGuinness will drive the same car for the Knockhill round on 26-27 September, his only other four-wheel experience also coming at the same venue when he tested a Gordon Sheddon Honda Civic Supercar.
"I'm massively excited," said McGuinness. "I've not got a lot of experience on four wheels but wasn't a million miles off the pace in Gordon Sheddon's BTCC car. I had a spin in that - I really enjoyed it.
"Trying my hand at British Rallycross is a good opportunity so I grabbed it by the horns. I'll be able to be brave - I'll feel invincible with a roof! I'm excited for the new challenge. 'Do it while you can' I say."
McGuinness sampled the C4 Supercar for the first time at the BRX 5 Nations pre-season test, with World Championship regular Oliver Bennett (Ford Fiesta) and former British Rally Championship round winner Mark Donnelly (Citroen DS3) also among the Supercar drivers in attendance.
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
WRX Portugal: Gronholm claims second victory of 2021
Portugal WRX: Hansen leads Gronholm after Saturday's running
The addictive experience of racing a rallycross Supercar
Magazine: F1 Chinese GP, WEC Imola and WRC Croatia review
Mercedes taking action to cure F1 car's “underlying balance” problem
Brake issues hindered Rosenqvist’s chances of IndyCar victory in Long Beach
Ayrton Senna's famous Honda NSX up for sale
How motorsport is embracing the opportunities of AI
The unlikely series providing an open door to innovation
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2023
How a lost Lotus that could have revolutionised Can-Am finally came to life
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments