Ex-Formula 1 driver Perry McCarthy joins TitansRX field

McCarthy - who drove for Andrea Moda in Formula 1 26 years ago and last competed at Le Mans in 2003 - will campaign a single-make, four-wheel drive PanteraRX6 in the Lydden Hill double-header, before subsequently competing in the remaining rounds of the season in Portugal, Austria, Hungary and Germany.

"At 58 years old, I'm so proud and delighted to be coming back to motor racing at this level" said McCarthy.

"It's a big challenge ahead and I've never raced in rallycross, but it's given me something to get my teeth into and thankfully I was fast in testing."

McCarthy was the original secret racing driver for the BBC Top Gear TV show, called 'The Stig'.

He will compete against fellow former F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jnr and World Rallycross Championship points leader Kevin Hansen among others at Lydden.

"Since I retired it's all been about personal appearances and not competing, but now it's coming back, this is a challenge that I've not just been presented with, but I want," he said.

"I've not done rallycross before - I mean, I have been on the grass a few times, but that wasn't deliberate. I do believe I can have a go at them."

McCarthy will be joined in the new series by GT and touring car racer Abbie Eaton for the British rounds.

Eaton, who has also worked in television with Jeremy Clarkson, on the Grand Tour, is also totally new to the mixed-surface discipline.

Like McCarthy, Eaton is wary of making pre-event predictions.

"Rallycross is something I've always wanted to do," she said.

"My Dad actually started off in rallycross so he's loved it, enjoyed it all the time, he's been a part of it; so it's something that I've had on my bucket list for a while.

"Just to get stuck in on what is a proper rallycross circuit, an old-school one, is going to be something really special.

"To be quite honest I've got no expectations or anything because I've not even sat in the car, I've never even done anything purposefully on gravel, so to me it's just an experience thing.

"If I can go out in the car each time and go quicker and quicker, that's all I'm trying to do and if we can get some pointers off the drivers in it that's always going to help."