Volkswagen and KMS launches rallycross investment

STCC Champion Volkswagen starts a massive investment in rallycross under the name Volkswagen Dealer Team KMS. The goal is to race under STCC flag 2014, but already this year they will participate in the Swedish Championship. Two of the drivers are STCC winner Johan Kristoffersson and rising rally star Pontus Tidemand. The investment was announced today during a press conference in Stockholm. 

The popular spectator sport rallycross is expected to face a growing interest in the future, nationally as well as globally, and due to that Kristoffersson Motorsport (KMS) got the assignment to develop a new rallycross car for Volkswagen Sweden with aim for 2014.

“Rallycross is an attractive spectator sport that is close to Volkswagen Motorsport’s investment in rallying. STCC has also opened up the opportunity to drive rallycross races during 2014. At the same time we want to link this investment to our 4Motion offer, which is four wheel drive. That makes it attractive for us to invest in this”, says Sten Forsberg, director of Volkswagen Sweden.

“We find the Swedish investment very interesting and we will follow it with great interest”, says Jost Capito, director of Volkswagen Motorsport.

That rallycross is hot is also proved by several other recent investments – for example the Swedish team Marklund Motorsport will aldready this year race internationally with a proprietary rallycross Polo. Rallycross is also growing fast in USA with their X-games that already this year will make a guest appearance in Europe.

The national investment in rallycross will be run by KMS, who has managed Volkwagen’s STCC team during the past years. During 2012 the investment lead to the win of the STCC title.

“This feels really good, we are proud to have Volkswagen’s trust and will do everything we can to manage it in the best way possible”, says Tommy Kristoffersson, team manager for Volkswagen Dealer Team KMS, who has great expereice from rallycross since 1990′s.

This means fully focus on developing the new rallycross car. Alongside that, the team will collect knowledge by participating in a selection of races during 2013. KMS already has a competitive 560 hp Scirocco that is ready for the rallycross tracks and are also able to rent a similar car from Belgium.

One of the highlights of this year’s investment is of course the European Championship race in Höljes on July 7th with IMG-media as promoter. The event is usually attended by 20 000-25 000 spectators and will be aired on tv.

The team has two very competent drivers: Johan Kristoffersson, who won STCC 2012 and Pontus Tidemand, who is the rising star in Swedish rallying.

“Both Johan and Pontus will be driving in Höljes but we haven’t decided yet how we’re going to do in the other races. Besides Johan and Pontus we also have Robin Larsson, son of European Champion Lasse Larsson, as an interesting candidate for appearances during the season’s other races”, says Tommy Kristoffersson.

STCC, who are planning on taking an extensive grasp of rallycross from 2014, are very positive. This is what Bob Huzell, head of STCC, has to say:

“Both Volkswagen and Kristoffersson Motorsport has been big and important actors in Swedish Motorsport with STCC as their platform for many years and Volkwagen’s investment is obviously important to us. It also gives a hint to the rallycross community in Sweden that the investment that we make in the sport is the right way to go.”

Volkswagen Dealer Team KMS is planning on participating in following races during 2013:

DRIVER FACTS

Johan Kristoffersson
Born: 6 December 1988
Lives: Arvika, Sweden
Career highlights: Champion in STCC, SuperStars and Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia 2012. Third in JTCC 2008. Second overall in Semcon Cup 2009 and in Carrera Cup 2011.

Pontus Tidemand
Born: 10 December 1990
Lives: Charlottenberg, Sweden
Career highlights: Third in WRC Academy (JWRC) and third in SWRC in Rally Sweden 2012. Swedish champion in rally (the youngest of all time) 2011, Swedish and Scandinavian champion in crosscart.