Liam Doran has announced that he will contest the full 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship, driving for the JRM Racing squad and piloting their iconic MINI Clubman RX Supercar.
Doran, who is a 4 time X-Games medallist and has taken race victories in the FIA European Rallycross Championship, is no stranger to driving a MINI in rallycross events and is looking forward to the challenge ahead this season. The Daventry based team ran two cars during the 2015 WorldRX season and these cars both competed with 1.6 litre turbocharged engines. For 2016, Doran is the sole entrant and the car has been upgraded to now include a 2.0 litre turbocharged unit.
Doran is very happy with the move and is looking to challenge in 2016:
“This is something I’ve been working towards for the last couple of years – being able to go at the championship professionally as a driver and with a capable and successful team,” Doran said. “It’s exciting for me to have the chance to do that. Being able to focus on my driving is the most important thing for me in 2016.” He went on to add: “One of the main reasons for this whole deal happening is because the car is what it is and the team is what it is. It’s going to be a strong, fast and reliable package which is something I need. The sport has also evolved hugely and if we’re going to succeed in both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships, we need a reliable package to start with.”
JRM Managing Director, Jason King explained:
“It’s great to have Liam on board for the 2016 World RX season and for him to be at the heart of an all-British team. We learned a lot about the series last year and we’re ready to make our mark as a full season entrant in 2016. We’ve done a lot of work on the MINI to meet the new two-litre engine regulations and marrying the car’s chassis – which handles superbly and gives the driver great stability and feedback – to a more powerful engine is an exciting prospect.”
Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, explained his happiness with this announcement:
“It’s excellent to see an all-British squad with JRM and Liam Doran joining forces for 2016. There’s no denying that Liam is a naturally talented driver and his technical expertise will certainly help JRM Racing when it comes to developing the MINI RX Supercar.”
