Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — Monday 15 June 2015; The grounds of Goodwood House will reverberate to the sound of Albatec Racing’s fearsome Peugeot 208 RX rallycross Supercar when it makes a guest appearance at the highly acclaimed Goodwood Festival of Speed over the weekend of 26-28 June. With a theme this year of ‘Flat-Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’, the Dumfries team’s two-litre 16v motor will wow the expected 300,000 plus crowds that annually descend across the three-day festival.
Boasting some 600bhp from their flame-spitting, turbocharged powerhouses, RX Supercars accelerate faster than a Formula One car, a staggering 0-60mph in under two seconds. Formula One cars are no longer allowed to do the official timed runs, leaving the fastest time up the hill of 41.6 seconds set by Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren MP4/13 Formula One in 1999, still standing. The focus now is more on demonstrations that are spectacular rather than fast; and this is where the elite rallycross category of Supercars – four wheel drive racecars, the fastest accelerating circuit race cars in the world, will come into their own.
Swapping from the traditional rallycross format of a series of short, sharp, all action races over a mixed circuit of both asphalt and loose gravel, the Hillclimb will see Albatec’s Euro RX racer James Grint negotiate the hill against the world’s very best drivers and riders in the ultimate test of concentration and speed.
The Hillclimb is the principal attraction at the FoS, and takes place across the weekend incorporating a challenging white-knuckle ride along a 1.16-mile course. Starting from the tree-lined southern corner of the Goodwood Estate, the course rises over 300ft from the start line to the finish, as it sweeps past the front of the magnificent Goodwood House, before climbing a steep and narrow estate road towards Goodwood’s equine racecourse on top of the South Downs.
Arguably the fastest growing motorsport in the world, rallycross owes part of its popularity to the spectator-friendly paddocks that allow visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal to the series’ stars and cars. Equally, all visitors to Goodwood are able to walk around the paddock, where drivers and cars can be seen at close quarters, and afforded close views of the action.
Current leaders of both the FIA European Rallycross Championship and MSA British Rallycross Championship, Albatec Racing will divide its attention over that weekend, with British RX championship leader and Team Principal Andy Scott taking part in the double-header round at Mondello Park, near Naas, Ireland. While leading the team’s appearance in Goodwood Hertford-based James, brother to Rupert Grint, aka Harry Potter’s Ronald Weasley, will join around 300 cars and motorcycles, grouped thematically, in a sprint up the iconic Hillclimb.
Tickets and additional information concerning the Goodwood Festival of Speed are now available from the website www.grrc.goodwood.com
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal:
“It’s fantastic to have our Albatec Peugeot 208 RX at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. I would love to be there myself to watch it, however I’m busy competing in the double-header British RX round at Mondello Park. I’m sure James and the rest of the team will represent Albatec in the best possible way though, and have a great weekend.”
James Grint, Albatec Racing driver:
“I’m really excited to be part of Goodwood Festival of Speed this year. I’ve been going to the show since I was about six years old and I have always dreamt that I would be one of the racing drivers screaming up the famous Goodwood hillclimb, now my dream is becoming a reality.
“It’s almost more exciting than the next Euro RX race in Germany!!! I’m going to be concentrating pretty hard behind the wheel, as I really don’t want to be the one that stuffs the car into the Flint wall!!! I hope to put on a good show for all the rallycross fans.”
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