Christie targets title in 20-year-old Fiesta
Hot Rod star John Christie is aiming to qualify for next season’s World Final using a 20-year-old car that was previously campaigned by his father, Ormond.
Ormond Christie won the World Final in 1996 and 1997 driving the Ford Fiesta Mk3. The car was mothballed nine years ago, but Christie Jr has revamped the machine and has started campaigning it in the Northern Ireland points contest.
He also won the one-off NHRPA showdown at Hednesford Hills 10 days ago, and he thinks that further work on the car will make it a contender for another world title, to follow on from the one that he won in 2013.
“I had sold my Vauxhall Tigra and there was the Fiesta sitting in the corner of the workshop,” said Christie. “It hadn’t been touched for years but I wanted to prove a point. The engine was looked at by tuner Trevor Hill, we put some Gaz shock absorbers on it and away we went. Simon Smith from Autocross has been very helpful, and we are going to take the project forward.
“I will race at home, but I do want to come over for the main events. I would love to qualify for the World Final again, but it is very competitive.”
Christie said that the basics of the car will remain the same but he could look to upgrade the bodywork in the future.
“There is a chance we could put some more modern Fiesta panels on it. We could put the same styling as the World Rally Car. That would make it stand out even more, but it is all down to money,” added Christie.