The 23rd running of the Summer X Games, to be held in the US state of Texas later this week, will see in Liam Doran, Toomas Heikkinen and Anton Marklund three regulars of the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

The prestigious show event, to be produced for the television cameras of ESPN and an expected 100,000+ spectators at the venue, will take place at the for the purpose converted Circuit of The Americas (CoTA) in Austin, the capital of Texas. It is for the first time that a US-based Summer X Games event is not hosted in the state of California. While the entire programme is scheduled over four days (June 5 to 8) the Global RallyCross competition will be run on Saturday June 7 only.

Briton Liam Doran, double X Games gold medallist: “I’ve been watching the X Games for years and even now I still get a kick out of just receiving the invite. Of course heading out to race in the US feels special – I have a lot of support out there, and the atmosphere and events are always fantastic. From what I’ve seen of the set up in Austin it’s going to be a great competition.”

“I’ve had a difficult start to the season in the World Rallycross Championship, so I’m looking forward to trying to break the run of bad luck with a good result in Texas. I’m looking at it in terms that I’ve been quick at X Games previously. By the end of the weekend at Lydden Hill [Round 2 of WorldRX] the car felt awesome. The team have been working flat out to prepare everything so we can take on the competition in the US and then be ready for Round 3 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Norway on June 14 and 15,” Liam ‘British Bomb’ Doran concluded.

Toomas Heikkinen has claimed four X Games medals already, but wants more of this hardware. © JKR/ERC24

Finn Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen, double X Games gold medallist: “I’m absolutely stoked to be going back to America to see all my friends and fans again. I don’t know anything about the track at all, apart from the fact that it’s going to be really exciting and fantastic.”

Anton Marklund hopes that his VW Polo Mk5 SuperCar is the right machinery to bring him up the X Games podium. © JKR/ERC24

Swede Anton Marklund: “I was really satisfied with my X Games performances last year, but now I have a car that is so much better. X Games is one of the biggest events you can do and it’s great to be one of the 20 drivers taking part. But X Games is very special and you have to be very quick immediately. There is no last chance because if you don’t have a good heat then you’re out. But I really think we have a chance to win, the Volkswagen is an amazing car and I’m more confident than ever. I’m going for gold.”

Top photo: Liam Doran hopes that X Games will break the run of his 2014 bad luck with a top result in Texas. © JKR/ERC24