ROOKE LANDS UK RX LITES DRIVE
British points leader will step up to WRX’S second division
British Rallycross Championship leader Dan Rooke will compete in the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill next week, driving an Olsbergsmse-run car in RX Lites.
The reigning Supernational champion, who switched to rallycross from autocross at the start of 2015, drove a Lites car at the Msa-backed RX Talent Search event at Lydden Hill last season and made the final four, beaten to the prize drive by BTCC race winner Tom Onslow-cole.
The Lydden drive has been arranged by OMSE team owner Andreas Eriksson, Rooke joining regular drivers Cyril Raymond and Tejas Hirani in the squad.
“I hope to be there mixing with the top guys but given that I’ve had next to no seat time in the car it will be tough,” said Rooke. “Hopefully I can learn in practice. I know that being smooth is key with these things so I’ll try not to be too ragged, just keep it tidy.”
Rooke is racing an LD Motorsports Citroen DS 3 in the British RX series this season and won at Lydden. He currently leads the series by 16 points over five-time champion Julian Godfrey.
“You could say the Lites is a step down [from Supercars] but it is certainly a step up in terms of level of the event,” he added. “Hopefully nerves won’t get the better of me on the international stage.
“It’s going to be a lot easier driving the car now compared to when I drove it last year when I had never even driven with a sequential gearbox before. I’ve now got left-hand drive, four-wheel drive and sequential gearbox experience.
“It will help that I know Lydden, I’ve gone unbeaten there so hopefully I can carry that chain on.”
The RX Lites Cup is led by Norwegian Thomas Bryntesson, who has won the first two events of the season.