2013 ‘GRC Lites’ champion Finn Joni Wiman is going to drive a 2012 OMSE Ford Fiesta Mk7 SuperCar in the final round of the Swedish Rallycross Championship at the Kinnekulle Ring.
Marcus Grönholm protégé Joni Wiman has done an amazing job to claim the inaugural ‘GRC Lites’ series title in the USA by winning all the five yet completed rounds of the championship in a row. On top of that he won all qualifying heats but one during his first American season. Now it’s time to climb up the ladder to the premier league of Rallycross, the SuperCars category. For Saturday October 5, just four days prior to his 20th birthday, the Finn has been invited to drive an almost 600bhp strong 2012 Ford Fiesta Mk7 of OlsbergsMSE at the Swedish Kinnekulle Ring, as part of his prize for winning the title. The venue, situated halfway between the town of Götene and Lake Vänern, is hosting the Finale of the Swedish Rallycross Championship and the entry list for the top car class is rather good, comparing to what has been seen over many a year in Sweden. With Wiman joining there will be a total of ten SuperCars now, and maybe even more to come.
Prior to Kinnekulle Wiman gets the chance for a test drive on October 2 at the Strängnäs Motorstadion in Sweden. In addition to providing the SuperCar test, OlsbergsMSE will also be holding an exclusive SuperCar Lites demonstration, with Wiman and several other SuperCar Lites drivers on hand to discuss their experiences of racing the cars in the USA.
“Everything has fallen into place, and it should be a really exciting weekend,” said OlsbergsMSE CEO Andréas Eriksson. “Since Joni won the championship before the last race of the year [due to be held in Las Vegas on November 7] I thought this was a great opportunity for him to come over and test the car on Swedish ground. Joni will be driving a 2012 Ford Fiesta Mk7 SuperCar, exactly the same specs that Scott Speed won with in Charlotte two weeks ago. We will have the test on Wednesday, and then race on Saturday, which should give Joni plenty of time behind the wheel and show us what he can do. Based on his performances in the SuperCar Lites this year, I am pretty confident he will do well.”
“The SuperCar entry for the race on Saturday should be twelve to fourteen cars, so it’s a great chance for Joni to experience the car in an event with tough competition. I’ll be able to keep a close eye on him, as I’m racing on the day as well. For us at OlsbergsMSE getting drivers like Joni through from the junior classes, to SuperCar Lites, and into SuperCars is all part of developing Rallycross as a sport. It provides a clear path of progression for young drivers, and at the same time helps teach drivers the skills they need to make the most of racing a four-wheel drive car.”
“The interest in the SuperCar Lites class is already huge in the US, and now we bring that over to Scandinavia together with ‘Rallycross SuperCar Scandinavia’, which is promoted by STCC (Scandinavian Touring Car Championship ) for 2014. We really look forward to create a platform in Scandinavia that continue this growth. We have over 40 drivers that will test the SuperCar Lites on the official test days coming weeks and I am really happy and impressed with the diversity of drivers Rallycross attract. The momentum in Rallycross is great and it is the most growing motorsport in the World today. The platform with SuperCar Lites makes it easier to build future stars and champions. We also view to continuing grow further into Europe,” stated OMSE principal Andréas Eriksson today.
