The 2019 WTCR champion and current TCR World Tour points leader will achieve a life long dream of competing in a rally at his home event, Rally Hungary from 6-8 October.
The factory Hyundai TCR driver will pilot a Hyundai i20 Rally2 car at the asphalt event, competing under a special license granted by Hyundai Motorsport. He will drive alongside experienced Hungarian co-driver Robert Tagai.
Michelisz will receive only one test day before taking part in the event although the 39-year-old has previously sampled rally cars.
Last year he piloted Hyundai’s WRC Rally1 car at Belgium’s Zolder Circuit as part of a car swap stunt involving factory Hyundai WRC driver Thierry Neuville and Michelisz’s Hyundai’s Veloster N ETCR touring car.
“My first motorsport experiences are connected to rally races around Pécs, I had very vivid childhood memories on Mecsek Rally” said Michelisz.
“I fell in love with racing in rallies, and if I had been asked what type of racing driver I wanted to be, I would have definitely said rally driver. That life brought me to closed circuit racing was mainly due to my sim racing days, that helped me to get here, where I am now. But my affection to rally has remained, and now a childhood dream comes true.
“I was thinking of it [going rallying] a lot in the past couple of years, and I always convinced myself why the timing was not appropriate.
“Now I have reached the point where I am more eager to experience it than I am cautious about the risks. There will never be a perfect time, I have to seize the moment.”
Source: Autosport