JRM World RX have vowed to improve upon their performance at the World RX of Great Britain, which took place at Lydden Hill in Kent also known as the spiritual home of rallycross.
The Daventry based team debuted their new 2.0 litre turbocharged BMW Mini at round four of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship, which was also the home round for their driver Liam Doran. After three rounds of using the 1.6 litre turbocharged car and providing some giant killing performances which have included an appearance in the Supercar Final at Hockenheim, there were high hopes for the new car on home turf.
However it would be a difficult weekend for the home team. The British Bomb was hampered by a jump start and a puncture in Q1 and then suffered further in Q2 with engine issues. Doran fought back in Q3 by finishing his race in second place but his performance in Q4 would be cut short by more mechanical issues which would mean that the British driver would not qualify for the Semi-Finals.
“This was the first round for our two-litre development engine, but luck wasn’t on our side this weekend,” Team Principal James Rumsey explained.
“We know the car has heaps of potential in its new specification but we couldn’t show that on the track for various reasons. The boys are frustrated because we know the package we have put together can give us the extra step in performance we want after moving from the successful 1.6-litre engine. But we’ve gathered lots of invaluable data and insight that we’ll be using to hopefully give us a smoother passage at the next event in Norway.”
Doran has praised the team for the effort they have put into the new car and hopes to show its potential in Norway, “It’s been a mega frustrating weekend as I was obviously hoping for a lot more in front of my home fans. I really didn’t get the chance to build any momentum during qualifying and that’s so crucial in World RX if you’re going to make it to the semi finals,” explained Doran. “The focus now turns to Norway and showing what the MINI RX can do in its new spec. The potential in the package is unreal and the JRM boys are working flat out – we just need a good run of luck so we can demonstrate the performance on track.”
