A gold medallist at the X Games and crowned Supercar Lites champion in 2014 before moving on to the Global Rallycross Championship with OMSE and Honda, Mitchell DeJong will use this final weekend of the season to make his official RallyX debut.
Lining up under the banners of BAK40 and Nova Motorsport, DeJong will have the chance to showcase his talent at the wheel of the FC2 in the Open 4WD category.
Widely regarded as one of the leading rallycross specialists in the United States, the Californian approaches the Buxtehude round with obvious enthusiasm.
“It’s an exciting weekend for me. I was already in Germany for a friend’s bachelor party when I got a call offering me the chance to come and race here. Earlier this year we had already looked into the possibility of putting together a full programme in the series, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. So to be here now on such a legendary track—one I’ve watched so many times on TV but never had the chance to race on—is really special. I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes.”
Although the American has yet to set foot—or tyres—on the mixed asphalt and gravel of Buxtehude, he intends to take the weekend in his stride. That confidence is further reinforced by his familiarity with the FC2, having already driven the car in Nitrocross competition.
“I don’t have any particular expectations for this weekend. I just want to stay relaxed, like I did in my last races last year. Of course, I’d love to be pleasantly surprised with a strong result, but I know the toughest part will be getting up to speed quickly and learning the track. Up to now, I’ve only driven it in sim racing. We’ll take it session by session and, with a bit of luck, we’ll find the pace.”
While he refuses to make bold predictions, DeJong remains true to his competitive nature.
“To say I’m not here to win would be a lie, given how competitive I am. Even if the circumstances aren’t ideal and I haven’t had much seat time, of course I’d love to take the victory. But that’s more of a secondary goal. The priority is to move forward step by step and see if, as the weekend goes on, we can get close to a win.”