Andrew Jordan set for rallycross return with JRT squad

Jordan began his motorsport career in rallycross aged 14 and quickly climbed to the headline Supercar category in the UK and just missed out on the 2007 British crown before switching to the BTCC a year later

He returned to rallycross in 2014 and finished on the podium at Lydden Hill in the World Rallycross Championship with an Olsbergs MSE-run Ford Fiesta (below), a precursor to making a number of further outings with different teams in subsequent seasons.

Jordan stepped away from the BTCC in 2020 amid COVID-19-led changes to his planned programme and has since been focusing on JRT’s historic racing business.

Now JRT has bought a former Euro RX event-winning Fiesta for Jordan to race in the selected rounds of the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy and the European Rallycross Championship, which will be the 32-year-old’s only modern racing effort away from historic competition.

“Since me and dad [Mike] went to Essay in France and watched European rallycross in 2007 it has always been the aim to race in that, not necessarily running the car ourselves, but that was the aim,” Jordan told Autosport.

“Obviously things then progressed with the world championship, but there’s something about going and doing it ourselves, and doing really cool events.

“We’ve got a great bunch of people [at JRT] and we’re all mates, so the thought of going and doing European rallycross at Holjes [Sweden] or Hell [Norway] is really exciting. Obviously, I want to do well, but it will be a cool adventure.”

Andrew Jordan, Ford

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

JRT is currently rebuilding the ex-Thomas Bryntesson Fiesta ahead of Jordan’s first British Rallycross Championship start in 14 years later this season.

“The plan is to do the last three rounds of the British Championship at Knockhill, Lydden and Spa,” Jordan said. “Knockhill was where I took my first ever British Junior rallycross win and my first British Supercar win so it would be cool to go back there.

“Then Lydden because it’s such a cool track and Spa because the track there looks really cool from the last time World RX went there. The main aim is to have some fun and learn the car with a view to cherry-picking events next year.”

While focused on enjoying his return to rallycross, Jordan is open about his hopes to achieve success in the discipline.

“My hopes are to challenge at the front, certainly once we’ve got our heads around the car,” he said. “I’m under no illusions though, with this car on a good day you’d get into the final in the European championship, but you wouldn’t be getting into the final in the world championship.”

Andrew Jordan, Ford Fiesta, Lydden Hill

Photo by: Hal Ridge

Jordan also admitted that while rallycross has to fit around JRT’s extensive historic programmes, top-flight rallycross is the only thing that could temp him back into a full-time driving role in future.

“This has to fit in around the historics, because this will be the only thing I do other than the historics,” he explained.

“I won’t commit to doing a full championship, my preference will be to cherry-pick a smaller number of events, some British rounds and some of the races in Europe that I’ve wanted to do for years.

“If someone came to me with a touring car offer I’m not interested really, but if someone came to me with a World RX deal then absolutely I’d be interested.

“This is good on all levels, to keep our eye in and have some fun, and who knows with electric coming what will happen with the sport in the next couple of years, it’s good on all angles for us to be doing this.”