Liam Doran will start his season by racing in the first round of the Monster Energy MSA British Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill.
The race on March 24th will be where the European Rallycross Championship front runner will give his new Citroën DS3 Supercar its public debut.
Doran launched a season based around events in America earlier this year and his participation at Lydden follows the surprise announcement that he will also contest the European championship in the new Citroën.
The British championship appearance at Lydden offers fans an unexpected opportunity to see car and driver in action on home turf. Sittingbourne-based racer Doran (24), will now contest the European Rallycross Championship as well as the US-based Global Rallycross Championship and has spent the winter putting together a new team to run cars in both series.
“We’ve got the best equipment and engineers available and I can’t wait to get started,” said Doran who will test his new DS3 in France before going to Lydden,
“Racing in the British championship event gives me the chance to drive the new car on the track where the European championship starts at Easter. It’s a great test outing because the competitive level in the championship is good enough for us to gauge our pace, but also because there’s no pressure or necessity to win – I’m not going for the British title so I can use the event as a test for the European season.”
The new Citroën DS3 has been built by French company Mtechnologies but will use an engine built by British tuner Julian Godfrey with race engineering coming from Sussex team Autopoint Specialist Engineering.
Doran will return to Lydden at Easter when the circuit hosts the first round of the 2012 FIA European Rallycross Championship on April 8-9. The event is Lydden’s biggest of the year and, this year, will be boosted further by live broadcasts on Motors TV.
Follow Liam at www.liamdoran.com
Event details, round one, Saturday March 24 Monster Energy MSA British Rallycross Championship, in association with MaKTraK Lydden Hill Race Circuit, Nr Canterbury On track from 0900. Admission £15, accompanied under 12s free Lydden Hill Race Circuit 01304 830557 LyddenHill.co.uk Sat Nav: CT4 6ET
2012 Monster Energy MSA British Rallycross Championship, in association with MaKTraK
Saturday March 24, Lydden Hill
Sunday-Monday April 8-9, Lydden Hill (Supercar only, within European event)
Saturday May 12, Knockhill Night Race
Sunday July 22, Mallory Park
Sunday-Monday August 26-27, Lydden Hill
Sunday October 7, Pembrey
Sunday October 28, Croft 2012
European Rallycross Race Calendar
8-9.04.2012 Lydden Hill, UK
28.04.2012 France
26.05.2012 Austria
02.06.2012 Hungary
23.06.2012 Norway
30.06.2012 Sweden
04.08.2012 Belgium
11.08.2012 Netherlands
22.09.2012 Finland
29.09.2012 Germany
Picture by Tim Whittington