Sportscar racing ace Enzo Ide will make his motorsport comeback in the European Rallycross Championship this season, having recovered from a period in a coma.
The Belgian, who won the 2016 Blancpain GT Sprint title, will contest the full Euro RX schedule for championship-winning team JC Raceteknik.
After making his rallycross debut at the inaugural World Rallycross event at Spa-Francorchamps, Ide was sidelined for much of last season following an accident at home that left him in a coma and in hospital for several months.
“I’m really looking forward to driving again,” he said.
“My main goal is first and foremost to have fun, and to learn rallycross.
“As I progress, I will be able to expand my goals and set what I want to achieve on track.
“JC Raceteknik is a team with hard working people and a lot of experience, we have a good understanding with each other and I have a good feeling for the season.”
Ide first tested a rallycross car in 2016 and his full-time move to the discipline marks an end to a tumultuous few months for him.
He only came out of his medically induced coma in January.
“In 2016 Mattias Ekström let me test a rallycross car, and I must say I was impressed. It was so much fun with a lot of adrenaline, I was addicted straight away,” he said.
“Last autumn when I got the head injury and I was in hospital for eight weeks, my goal was to stay healthy and be able to drive again.
“Three weeks ago, I got the ‘OK’ from my doctors to start competing and I really think motorsport will be good for my recovery.
“I really want to thank everyone who has supported me during events, the accident and now during the road to recovery. The doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other people who did everything for me – they made me live again.
“From my state seven months ago to racing at the first race in two months’ time, it’s incredible.”
The 2020 European RX season was set to begin at Barcelona on the weekend of April 18-19 but that event has been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
There has been no official word yet over a new date or whether subsequent rounds will go ahead as planned.
