OLSBERGS MSE FORD WINS FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS' TITLE

December 2, 2014 by Olsbergs MSE

• Team caps championship season with double podium in Argentina

SAN LUIS, Argentina (November 30, 2014) -- Olsbergs MSE Ford won the FIA World Rallycross Championship teams' title and capped a winning year with a double podium result this weekend at the season-ender in Argentina.

'I am very proud of our accomplishments in the sport of rallycross this season,' said Olsbergs MSE team owner Andreas Eriksson. 'Winning the teams' title in the FIA World Rallycross Championship is a fantastic reward for all of our hard work.'

Strong performances this weekend in heat racing and semifinal competition decided the teams' championship early on when Olsbergs MSE drivers Reinis Nitiss and Andreas Bakkerud both earned starting positions in the main event for their Ford Fiesta ST rallycross cars.

Their combined points vaulted Olsbergs MSE to the top of the teams' rankings and saw the successful conclusion to a season-long battle between the Ford team and their closest challengers, the Marklund Motorsport Volkswagen squad.

'We came into this season with a new young driver roster and when the podiums started coming, we set our sights on the goal of winning the World RX teams' championship,' said Eriksson. 'This wasn't an easy victory, but knowing we're racing in a series with such a high level of competition makes it even more special. Thank you to all of our sponsors and congratulations to all of the teams we battled this season. I'm already looking forward to seeing how everyone in the sport of rallycross steps it up next year.'

In 12 rounds of series competition, Olsbergs MSE Ford drivers scored an impressive 13 World RX podium results -- including a pair of overall wins for Bakkerud (World RX of Great Britain; World RX of Turkey) and the first-ever win for the teenaged Nitiss who, at only 18, became the youngest driver to take a Supercars victory when he stood atop the podium at World RX of Norway.

'It was a rollercoaster ride this year,' said Nitiss. 'We had our share of ups and downs and to see it all come together for us at the final race of the season feels absolutely amazing.'

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In Argentina, Nitiss earned second place -- his fifth podium result of 2014 -- and Bakkerud finished sixth. Both Olsbergs MSE team drivers earned solid results in the World RX driver rankings with Nitiss finishing third, behind champion Petter Solberg and runner-up Toomas Heikkinen, and Bakkerud rounding out the top five.

'It is the best feeling to be able to share this championship win with everybody on the Olsbergs MSE Ford team,' said Bakkerud. 'It was an incredible year of racing around the world.'

Team guest Kevin Eriksson, meanwhile, put in a stunning performance in Argentina to finish third in his very first Supercars race. For the first time, he climbed onto the podium for the ceremonial champagne spray, joining teammate Nitiss and event winner Solberg.

The 18-year-old driver debuted this weekend behind the wheel of the AEM Performance Electronics Ford Fiesta ST. He earned the Supercars drive as the prize for winning the 2014 RX Lites Cup, a development series pioneered by Olsbergs MSE to foster up-and-coming talent.

Eriksson's podium result was the latest in a string of leading performances by Olsbergs MSE guest drivers. In 2014, the team also welcomed 2013 British Touring Car Champion Andrew Jordan, multi-time Swedish Touring Car Champion Richard Göransson and famed Italian rally driver Gigi Galli.

Jordan scored third-place overall at World RX of Great Britain, while Göransson earned a second-place result at World RX of Italy. Galli finished ninth in Italy and no doubt won the hearts of the crowd with his huge airs and flamboyant driving style.

Olsbergs MSE adds the World RX teams' title to an already impressive list of 2014 accomplishments. Team driver Joni Wiman brought home the drivers' title in the U.S.-based Global Rallycross Championship, while he and teammate Patrik Sandell were both key points-earners for Ford, who scored the GRC manufacturers' championship title.

2014 WORLD RX TEAMS STANDINGS

1. Olsbergs MSE Ford 403

2. Marklund Motorsport 394

3. Peugeot-Hansen 351

4. PSRX 261

5. Monster Energy 76

ABOUT WORLD RX:

The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy combines all the best aspects of motor racing in one. It's fast, competitive and spectacular. It's bold, authentic and relatable. Within it are all the elements of four-wheel racing that you love. The race action is broadcast in more than 100 countries with a combined household reach of 816 million homes. The championship is made up of 12 rounds: Portugal, Great Britain, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Argentina.

ABOUT OLSBERGS MSE:

Olsbergs MSE designs, builds and operates winning competition cars for motorsport. It is recognized as the global authority in the growing sport of rallycross.

OMSE is a Ford Racing technical partner, developing the Ford Fiesta platform for international competition. Together, Ford and OMSE have earned an astonishing 20 X Games medals, including podium sweeps at the world's leading action sports contest (Los Angeles, 2011; Brazil 2013). The team has also scored every rallycross championship in the United States since the sport debuted in that country in 2010, and is the top ranked team in the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Founded in 2009, the organization represents a partnership between historic Swedish industrial company Olsbergs and rallycross specialists Motor Sport Evolution. In 2013, the company expanded its operations into the United States and now has dual headquarters with operations in both Sweden and the United States.

In 2014, Olsbergs MSE campaigned winning cars in World RX, the Global Rallycross Championship, and the Rallycross Supercar Scandinavia championship.