Volkswagen RX Sweden to focus on developing rallycross talent in 2017

European World Rally Cross action

Swedish rallycross team Volkswagen RX Sweden will focus on developing rallycross talent for the future in 2017, by running two Volkswagen Polo RX Supercars in the FIA European Rallycross Championship.

The team has competed in the FIA World Rallycross Championship for the last three seasons, and finished second in the World RX Drivers’ Championship with Johan Kristoffersson this year. The team also finished third in the Teams’ Championship standings in 2016, with points accumulated by Kristoffersson and teammate Anton Marklund.

The Euro RX series takes place at five European rounds of World RX, and the Volkswagen RX Sweden team will also be present in selected rounds of the Sweden-based RallyX Nordic series in 2017. “I believe that to be a front-runner in World RX now you need to have factory support. Instead of investing a huge amount in the constant development of the car, I believe it’s better to give upcoming drivers more seat time to improve their skills. The European Championship is a good platform to prove their qualities," said Volkswagen RX Sweden CEO, Jan Marklund.

“This season the team and our partners have put in an incredible effort to stay competitive throughout the whole campaign. I want to say a big thanks to all of our partners that we have worked with and I hope we can continue strong relationships going forward. With the team members and experience we’ve collected over the last three years, we aim to fight for podium finishes with our drivers in 2017."

During a three-year campaign in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, Volkswagen RX Sweden scored four victories (Tanner Foust Finland 2014, Toomas Heikkinen Belgium 2014/15, Johan Kristoffersson France 2016) and finished on the podium a total of 10 times. Volkswagen RX Sweden drivers Toomas Heikkinen (2014) and Johan Kristoffersson (2016) twice finished as vice-champion in the World RX Drivers’ Championship. The team also earned championship medals in the World RX Teams’ Championship with second in 2014 and third in 2016.

FIA European Rallycross Championship 2017

Barcelona, Spain, April 1/2

Hell, Norway, June 10/11

Holjes, Sweden, July 1/2

Loheac, France, September 2/3

Riga, Latvia, September 16/17