Defending champions OlsbergsMSE today announce their return to the worldwide Rallycross stage with a full roster of drivers preparing for an international, multi-championship campaign. The team is again aiming for global dominance.
“We have the best young talents in the world driving for OMSE this season,” said team owner Andréas Eriksson. “Our philosophy is to promote drivers through the ranks and support them with the best equipment. Our line-up shows a huge amount of potential in 2015.”
In WorldRX, drivers Reinis Nitišs and Andreas Bakkerud will be back to OMSE to defend their FIA World Rallycross Teams Championship title in a pair of bold red Ford Fiesta ST Rallycross machines. In Global RallyCross, defending champion Joni Wiman returns to the team in the Red Bull/Bluebeam Ford Fiesta ST, this year joined by SuperCars newcomer Mitchell DeJong in the Red Bull Ford Fiesta ST. Also joining the team this season is Timur Timerzyanov, who will launch a wild card campaign for the WRX drivers’ title in his Red Bull/Viatti Ford Fiesta ST. His entry will be fielded by Namus OMSE.
OlsbergsMSE has revealed its five SuperCar drivers today. © OMSE/ERC24
OMSE returns to competition with support from technical partner Ford. “We’re excited to continue our partnership with the OlsbergsMSE Ford team in both Global RallyCross and the FIA World Rallycross Championship,” said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing. “The team and its Fiesta ST program have won four straight championships in Global RallyCross, as well as the 2014 FIA World Rallycross teams’ title. They’ve got an excellent platform with a young and talented driver line-up. We’re really looking forward to the 2015 season.”
Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud, 23, and Latvian Reinis Nitišs, 19, proved a potent pair on the World RX championship last year, together winning the coveted FIA World Rallycross Teams Championship title for OMSE. In 12 rounds of competition, they achieved 10 podium finishes between them, including three outright victories. Team newcomer Timur Timerzyanov from Russia, a two-time European Rallycross champion (2012, 2013), says he’s excited about the opportunity to work with the OMSE squad this season. “Team boss Andréas Eriksson wants to be the best and he will do anything to try to be the best,” said Timerzyanov. “The people in this organization know every bolt on the cars and they know what they need to do to win. I trust this team.”
Timerzyanov has been with OMSE before, here pictured during the Las Vegas SEMA round of the 2013 GRC series. © JKR/ERC24
American Mitchell DeJong, at 17, is the youngest driver in Red Bull Global RallyCross. He won all but two races in the 2014 GRC Lites development series and will step up to the top SuperCars class for the first time in 2015. Teammate Joni Wiman from Finland transitions from the rookie to an expert role on the team as he returns to defend his 2014 Global RallyCross drivers’ title. The 21-year-old driver earned five podiums last season – three second-place finishes and two thirds – en route to his first drivers’ title.
Joni Wiman (left) and Mitchell DeJong will be the OMSE drivers in Global RallyCross. © OMSE/ERC24
The successful Lites development series will also return in 2015 with full calendars supporting both the World RX and Global Rallycross championships. OMSE will field Lites cars in both championships, as well as in the RallyX Scandinavia series. Confirmed for OMSE’s 2015 GRC Lites squad are young American Austin Cindric and Swede Oliver Eriksson, who will also race a Lites car at home in the RallyX Scandinavia series. Swede Kevin Eriksson will race in the RX Lites championship and race a SuperCar in the RallyX Scandinavia series alongside his compatriot Sebastian Eriksson. Swedish female Rallycrosser Sandra Hultgren also joins the Lites field in the RallyX Scandinavia series.
The OMSE organization is led by Andréas Eriksson, himself a championship Rally and Rallycross driver. He is supported by Chief Financial Officer Jan-Erik Steen and three-time European Rallycross Champion Jussi Pinomäki. OMSE’s multi-series campaigns in Rallycross are guided by the new team slogan “Extreme Forces,” representing their united worldwide challenge for Rallycross dominance. Fans can follow the team across social media platforms using the #OMSE #XForces hashtags.
Top photo: Timerzyanov joins OMSE regulars Bakkerud (left) and Nitišs (right) for the 2015 WorldRX series. © OMSE/ERC24