Electric cars to BRX Supercar class
Electric cars will join the Supercar field in the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy this year, as the series becomes the first category in the UK to run electric and internal-combustionengined cars together in the same races.
Electric vehicles using the powertrain developed by former World Rally Championship podium finisher Manfred Stohl’s STARD firm in Austria will now be adopted by British RX pending final approval from Motorsport UK. The governing body outlined new technical and safety regulations for the use of electric vehicles in the UK last year.
The same machines were used in
2020 in the all-electric Projekt E support category to the World Rallycross Championship. Electric cars built by
STARD and machines retro-fitted with the same four-wheel-drive, three-motor, 450kw powertrain will be eligible.
“Rallycross itself was innovative from the outset and lends itself so well to the next era of motorsport,” said BRX Championship coordinator Hannah Rynston. “To be the first in the UK to combine the two types of power is very exciting, and we’re very much hoping to have a few STARD powertrainequipped cars on the Lydden grid in May.
“We have been working on this behind the scenes for a long time so it’s great to see it becoming reality.”
Reigning Projekt E series champion Natalie Barratt is among those making plans to race an electric car in British Rallycross this season.
“It’s an exciting prospect and one that couldn’t come soon enough for motorsport,” she said. “The ERX [STARD electric] concept is exciting. I’m trying to put a team together and I’m hoping I can pull it off.”