Jordan: new layout can create a challenge forwrx drivers and joy for fans
British Touring Car star Andrew Jordan is Britain’s only podium finisher in the World Rallycross Championship and the former British Supercar title winner has a good insight into what makes a good venue.
Silverstone is owned by the British Racing Drivers’ Club and it looked around for a member who had suitable rallycross experience to help with the creation of the new mixed surface layout at the track.
Jordan finished on the podium at Lydden in 2014 in an Olsbergsmse Ford Fiesta, and has since taken part in three other rounds of WRX. He had an input into the design tweaks of the track once the basic format had been created.
Jordan says: “I was shown the plans once they had been drawn up, and I was asked for my input from a drivers’ point of view. I think it has a good mixture of corners, but it is one of the shorter tracks.
“Some of the others that we go to in Europe are what you would call traditional venues through the trees. That’s impossible for a new venue like this, but they have tried hard to incorporate lots of interesting features to keep fans happy. No one will know exactly how it works until there is the first race meeting there. That is the test for a venue and it’ll be interesting to see what happens when the British championship goes there in March. Given the work that has gone on behind the scenes, it should be a real hit with drivers.”