After his retirement from competitive cycling, multiple Olympic gold medalist Chris Hoy tried what he could in terms of motorsports, even participating of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but now the challenge is different as the British driver will make his rallycross debut in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.
More specifically, he will take part of the Barcelona RX, next round of the championship, while his machine will be the Ford Fiesta ST RX Mk 7 from XITE Racing, a car that was used by Oliver Bennett before he switched to his quite new Mini Cooper SX1, although it would appear at some one-offs and demonstration events, like some British RX rounds and the presentation of the rallycross layout of the Yas Marina Circuit, home of this year’s Abu Dhabi RX.
Although the Mk 7 Fiesta is a reliable car and practically an icon of the supercar generation, it doesn’t mean that Chris Hoy wouldn’t have to learn the ways of rallycross and off-road racing in general in a mission against time, as he has a bit more than two weeks to get the hang of it, so he is at Pembrey with Oliver Bennett for early tests.
This previous drive time is important for Hoy as, despite being a well versed prototype and GT racer with Radical, GT3, GT4, LMP3 and LMP2 experience, he never competed in rallycross, let alone in a 600 HP supercar, which has around the power of GT3 and LMP2 machinery but in a much smaller kit.
The Barcelona RX will be held on April 28th at the usual place, the purpose-built track at the final sector of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and Hoy will not be the only wildcard entry, as he comes in with Finnish driver Jani Paasonen for STARD and Tamas Karai and Herve Knapick with independent efforts.
PHOTO: Nissan
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