Patrick O’Donovan to race Hydro X Prix with Legacy MC

Patrick O’Donovan will finally get his shot in an Extreme E race weekend when he enters the Hydro X Prix with Legacy Motor Club. The 20-year-old with team up with Gray Leadbetter, who is one year younger than him, to comprise the youngest driver duo in the series.

O’Donovan currently works as a Championship Driver for the series, meaning he assists in testing the course and is on standby should a male driver be unavailable at the last minute. He first filled the role last July ahead of the Island X Prix.

“I feel like I know the car really well having been Championship Driver for quite some time, and hope to show what I’ve learned when we get back on track in Scotland,” said O’Donovan. “I’m really looking forward to mixing it with the best out on track. Legacy MC showed huge potential at the first event in Saudi Arabia and alongside Gray we will look to build on that at the Hydro X Prix. To race for Jimmie Johnson is an incredible feeling.”

He mainly competes in rallycross, where he has proven to be one of the discipline’s rising stars as the twice reigning British Rallycross Champion. O’Donovan won twice in the 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship’s RX2e category en route to a fourth in points, then moved up to the premier RX1e class at the 2023 season finale in Hong Kong where he notched a third-place finish in the second race. He also dabbled in Nitrocross at the last race of the 2023/24 season.

A NASCAR Cup Series outfit, Legacy Motor Club was classified sixth in both race days during their début weekend at the Desert X Prix in February, with seconds in the two Redemption Races. Leadbetter, a Championship Off-Road regular, partnered with the great Travis Pastrana for that round. Johnson, seven-time Cup champion and co-owner, is scheduled to take over the ride starting with the Island X Prix doubleheader in September.

“Patrick has already shown to have huge potential in this style of racing and when we needed a seat to be filled at Legacy MC, he was the obvious candidate,” Johnson commented. “He’s young, hungry and has bags of race-winning credentials at such a young age.

“We’re aiming for a strong performance in Scotland and think we have the energy in the team with Patrick and Gray behind the wheel to do so. I am eager to make my series début, but will have to wait a little longer to do so, and therefore will be watching Gray and Patrick from the sidelines giving it their all at the next event.”

The Hydro X Prix is scheduled for 13/14 July.