O’DONOVAN PREPARES FOR TWIN TITLE ATTACKS

Irish rallycross Supercar driver Ollie O’donovan will race in both the British and European rallycross championships this season.

The 2007 British Rallycross champion returned to the sport full-time in 2015, and won a pair of events in the British RX series at Mondello Park and Lydden Hill. He also contested a full campaign in the five-round Euro RX series and twice made the final in his Tony Bardy Motorsport-prepared Ford Fiesta Supercar.

O’donovan’s 2016 campaign will begin in the Ford Focus he used in a part-programme in 2014, before switching to his Ford Fiesta for the start of the European Championship in Belgium.

“We had a really strong year last season and we need to build on that performance going forward,”said O’donovan, who was the first Irishman to make a Supercar final in Euro RX last season. “We have the pace and I really want to win the British championship again, that’s my goal. But, there is some strong competition this year, so it won’t be easy.

“Last year was very much a learning year in Europe for us. The tracks were new and the car was new to us. We want to improve this season, but I know the competition is going to be even harder than it was last year.

“I’ve always wanted to race at Holjes in Sweden so that will be fantastic, and the new event in Latvia looks like it will be interesting too. To get into the finals is the goal again, and I’d really like to be on the podium at a European event this season.”

O’donovan will also be joined in his team by motorcycle racer Guy Martin for a yet-to-be announced round of the British championship this year.

FEBRUARY 17 2016

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