“Flying Frenchie” Guerlain Chicherit has joined JRM Racing to contest the upcoming French and Italian rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. Not content with being a former World Extreme Ski Champion, breaking a World Record by back-flipping a car, winning the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup or now having 10 Dakar Rallies under his belt, having had one of his most momentousraces last year in the now infamous #ZebraBuggy, Monster Energy athlete Chicherit will now take on the sharp, short, exciting circuits that make WorldRX one of the most spectacular Championships currently running.
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Guerlain will drive one of JRM’s race-winning MINI RX Supercars at Lohéac, France (4-6 September) and Franciacorta, Italy (16-18 October).
The two-event programme will mark the 36-year-old’s first foray into the ultra-competitive World RX series, where he will be competing against fellow Monster Energy teammates Liam Doran and World RX Champion Petter Solberg amongst other well-known names in motorsport.
Chicherit is keen to take the wheel of the MINI RX Supercar that JRM is developing this season: “I’m super happy that JRM is giving me this opportunity to drive its MINI against guys like my fellow Monster Energy team-mates Petter Solberg and Liam Doran,” he said. “I’ve been following World RX closely and I’m very impressed by its growth, today’s quality of driving, the atmosphere and the exciting circuits that are on the calendar. JRM is a really progressive team that is fully committed to World RX so I hope we can have a couple of great race weekends. I’ll be there to learn as much as possible about the car and the racing, and if I can cause a bit of heat on the track at the same time – even better!”
On competing at Lohéac in France, an event that traditionally attracts a huge crowd of over 70,000 race fans, Guerlain comments: “Racing at Lohéac will be particularly special for me. I can’t wait to see my close friends, fans and the amazing French crowd. I hope I will be able to do them proud.
“The support I’ve had from around the world – and in particular from my home crowd – when I tackled the ‘Longest Jump’ and the backflip records – has been incredible and I hope they stay with me on this one. The pressure is on but I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge presented to me.”
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JRM Racing Team Principal, James Rumsey, believes Chicherit will be a strong addition to his development team’s line up in France and Italy.
He said: “Guerlain’s passion for rallycross and the MINI RX is clear and I think he’ll perform well in a fiercely competitive World RX field. His motorsport experience is extensive and that will serve him well in a category of racing where natural speed and the ability to set up a car are critical.
“One of Guerlain’s biggest strengths is that he’s a driver who is prepared to attack a new challenge head on – you can see that from his recent record attempts with MINI. He’s a driver that clearly likes to put on a good show and I’m sure that will guarantee some on-track excitement in France and Italy.”