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Jordan: I can´t wait

Andrew Jordan, the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion, is preparing to make a special guest appearance in the new FIA World Rallycross Championship as a ‘wild-card' entry in this month's AUTOSPORT World RX of Great Britain at Lydden Hill (24-25 May). The BTCC star has been signed up to race a third Ford Fiesta ST for the championship-leading Olsbergs MSE team but faces stiff opposition from no fewer than 36 rivals in the headline SuperCar class.

It will be a big weekend for Jordan who will celebrate his 25th birthday on the Saturday. Having cut his competitive spurs as a teenager in the thrilling sport of rallycross, Andrew is no stranger to competing head-to-head with rivals on a mixture of different surfaces. In the interview below, though, he admits it's going to be a huge challenge to make his mark against the World RX elite.

When did you last compete in a rallycross event?

"I haven't competed in rallycross since I won the British SuperCar title in Will Gollop's Ford Focus back in 2007. I was, however, given a chance to test one the Olsbergs MSE-prepared Fiestas last year and again briefly at the recent Media Preview event at Lydden Hill."

Why did you quit rallycross and switch to circuit racing?

"At that stage there was nowhere really to progress any further, so I switched to racing touring cars. That's all changed now as the sport has become a lot more commercial with the arrival of a proper World Championship. I always said I'd love to go back to rallycross given a competitive car and the right circumstances. And this is certainly a great opportunity."

Although Petter Solberg won the opening round of the new World RX in Portugal earlier this month, you must have been pleased to see the two Olsbergs MSE Ford drivers Andreas Bakkerud and Reinis Nitiss also on the podium.

"To be honest I knew the Olsbergs cars would be good and well capable of competing with the best right up at the front. It's certainly my aim to be every bit as competitive as the other two drivers. While this really is just a learning weekend for me, I still obviously want to do as well as possible."

Does that mean you are aiming for a podium finish?

"That's going to be tough. My real aim is to reach the final, but I'm under no illusion that it's going to be a ‘big ask' just to reach the semis. I'm hoping to play the long game, not to take any unnecessary risks in the heats and then come out all guns blazing in the semi final. With 37 SuperCars in the field, making the last six would be brilliant."

What are these 600bhp SuperCars like to drive?

"They are just unreal. The horsepower is one thing, but the torque is phenomenal. The engine just keeps pulling and pulling until you get right into a corner. They are totally brilliant bits of kit!"

How does the Fiesta ST SuperCar compare with Honda Civic that you race in the BTCC?

"You really can't compare them as they are very different. The rallycross car is phenomenally quick in a straight line but you need to compromise on the set-up to cope with both dirt and Tarmac surfaces. What's more you need very different driving styles, too."

Do you think it's easier for a top rally driver or circuit racer to adapt to the unique demands of racing in rallycross?

"I'm sure rallying driving skills do help and Kris Meeke proved to be very fast in France last year. I think racing is probably more useful as you have the experience of competing door-to-door with your opponents; you don't get that in rallying. In racing you also learn how to defend your position from those behind and also how to attack those in front."

If things go well at Lydden, would you now consider switching back to rallycross at sometime in the future?

"Yes and no. I'm committed to doing the BTCC for 2015 but I'd really like to do some more of these selected ‘wild card' entries into the World RX if further opportunities arise. Ultimately everything depends on my sponsors but, if I were to do anything else other than the BTCC, then rallycross would certainly be my first choice. For now I just want to see how Lydden goes. I've been looking forward to it for a long time, so I just can't wait."

With a host of stars joining Jordan on the grid, advanced ticket sales for the AUTOSPORT World RX of Great Britain are at record levels. Tickets are available via either the official www.lyddenhill.co.uk website or the Ticket Hotline on 0844 858 8518 (calls cost 6p per minute plus network extras). Discounts of up to 20 per cent are on offer for those booking before the mid-night deadline on Tuesday 20 May. Tickets purchased after 9am on Friday 16 May, however, will not be posted but available for collection at the venue. Accompanied children aged 12 and under are admitted free.