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Nelson Piquet Junior confirms RX Lites entry for Lydden Hill

Former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr will compete in the RX Lites Cup at the second round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, AUTOSPORT World RX of Great Britain, which takes place at Lydden Hill race circuit this weekend (24-25 May).

The Brazilian driver has a glowing CV in motorsport having finished runner-up in the coveted GP2 Series back in 2006 before stepping up to Formula One in 2007 to join the Renault F1 Team for three years. In 2010, Piquet Jr moved to NASCAR where he remained until the end of 2013. Motorsport also runs in the family for the 28-year-old as his father - Nelson Piquet - is a three-time F1 World Champion.

RX Lites is run by Swedish rallycross specialists and multiple title-winning Olsbergs MSE and as a single-spec formula, RX Lites entrants compete in identical 310bhp, all-wheel-drive, rear-engined machinery while keeping costs strictly to a minimum. The 2014 RX Lites winner will be awarded a Supercar drive at World RX of Argentina in November, while second and third placed drivers will have the chance to experience a test day in an Olsbergs MSE Supercar.

Piquet Jr will join nine other RX Lites entries at Lydden Hill and spoke positively about the opportunity to race in the UK once again.

"I'm very excited about the chance to race this weekend and I'd like to thank the team and sponsors that invited me to the UK," explained Piquet Jr. "I've lived in the UK and won a championship there [British Formula Three Championship] but it's been five years since my last race on British soil. This is a good opportunity to learn more about rallycross and get to know the European drivers. It will be my first RX Lites race and it will prepare me well for the X Games too."

Martin Anayi - World RX Managing Director for IMG Motorsport - added: "We've got a tremendous line-up for World RX of Great Britain this weekend but the news that Nelson Piquet Jr is set to join us in the RX Lites is the icing on the cake. The RX Lites Cup provided fantastic race action at the opening round in Portugal and with promising names such as Nelson joining the line-up for Lydden, it's set to be even more exciting this weekend."