Author Lydden Hill

Liam Doran Enters Group B Rallycross In RS200

15 April, 2019

Double X Games Gold Medallist and World Rallycross Championship star Liam Doran will race an iconic Ford RS200 in his home round of the Toyo Tires Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill on Easter Monday (April 22).

Doran will drive the legendary Group B RS200 that his father Pat raced in the FIA European Rallycross Championship in the early 1990s as he joins one the biggest collections of period Group B and four-wheel drive rallycross cars competing in the UK in recent years at the birthplace of the sport.

The 32-year old will line up alongside Steve Harris (Ford RS200), Rob Gibson (MG Metro 6R4), Roger Thomas (MG Metro 6R4), David Halford (Audi Quattro) and Derrick Jobb (Ford Escort Cosworth) in the Retro Rallycross Championship’s four-wheel drive category.

“I last drove the car properly in France at a test in 2016, before we took it to a French round of the Rallycross legends series for my dad to drive, so I’m looking forward to driving it again at Lydden,” said Doran. “I’m doing it because as one of the top British drivers, I want to help promote the sport in Britain, especially at my home track, and if I’m doing that then why not do it in arguably the ultimate rallycross car of all time. I’m taking this opportunity while I can.”

Doran raced the RS200 affectionately named ‘Rosie’ in his first Supercar season in 2008. “This car taught me more than any car has ever taught me. To say I was dropped in the deep end racing a Supercar would be an understatement, so I think part of the reason why I’ve achieved what I’ve achieved in my career is because of that year. I owe a lot to this car and its never got any easier to drive, so we’ll see what happens on Monday!”

Racing an Audi S1 Supercar for the Monster Energy RX Cartel team in the FIA World Rallycross Championship this season, Doran scored his first World RX podium at the first round in Abu Dhabi last weekend. He is looking forward to returning to his home circuit next weekend. “I love driving at Lydden, it’s a great track,” he said. “It’s really fast, I guess quite a scary track at times, so that is always exciting for a driver who likes going fast. Driving this car there, which is without doubt the fastest car at the event being 750 horsepower and weighing just over 1000 kilos, I’m looking forward to trying to set the fastest lap of the day. It’ll be interesting to see if I can compete with the current Supercars so that’s my target. It will be fun to just drive a car that everyone appreciates with no pressure and have a good time. Steve Harris and Roger Thomas have both been dominant in the Retro class and I’m not looking at this in any way as a competition to be honest. But, if I do what I want to do, which is be the fastest guy at the event, then I guess that’s what I’ll have to do.”

Tickets are available now for as little as £12 online at https://bit.ly/2XUnfPm

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