Oliver Webb will replace Hayden Paddon at this weekend’s fifth and sixth rounds of the 2019 TitansRX season in Montalegre, Portugal.
Paddon, who made his TItansRX debut at the season opener in Essay, France (below), also sat out of rounds three and four at Lydden Hill. He was scheduled to make his World Rally Championship return with M-Sport in Finland last weekend but a severe testing crash put an end to the plan.
Although Paddon escaped serious injury in the incident, he has elected to sit out of this weekend but will return in time for TitansRX’s races at the MJP Arena in Austria at the beginning of September.
„It’s a shame to miss the next TitansRX round, but I felt it was prudent to have some precautionary checks back home in New Zealand following the testing incident in Finland, and ensure everything was 100 percent physically,“ said Paddon. „I’m looking forward to being back amongst the action at the next round in Austria.“
Stepping in for Paddon is sports car racer Webb who impressed during his debut wildcard appearance at Lydden Hill.
„I’m delighted to be coming back for the next round and what looks like some more in the year too,“ said Webb. „I’m hooked and I can’t wait to get more experience in these awesome cars.“
Webb was a late addition to the field for rounds three and four, and although he’d never competed in rallycross prior to that weekend, the Brit was immediately on the pace. He finished fourth on his first time out, despite never driving TitansRX’s Pantera RX6 racing car prior to the weekend, and described the experience as „amazing“.
„It’s been a whole new experience obviously, everything’s so different to what I’m used to from a downforce car with paddles to a handbrake, stick-shift, soft suspension and gravel,“ he said. „I hope I can take the experience from last weekend. Everything’s so different but it’s great to be able to learn a new trade.“
