Teenaged driver Reinis Nitiss becomes youngest Supercars winner
HELL, Norway (June 16, 2014) - Olsbergs MSE Ford driver Reinis Nitiss made history this weekend, scoring the Supercars victory in Norway to become the youngest overall winner of an FIA World Rallycross Championship event.
The 18-year-old Latvian put in a flawless drive in his Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST in the six-car Final to earn the first Supercars win of his young career. He topped the podium over World Rally Champion Petter Solberg and American star Ken Block.
"This is just unbelievable," said an excited Nitiss, who now leads the championship standings. "Ken and Petter are two of the biggest stars in the World RX paddock and to come out on top... What a podium! I couldn't have even imagined that one in my dreams."
The Olsbergs MSE team has scored two wins so far this season and has put a team Ford Fiesta ST on the podium at every round. With this weekend's result in Norway, Olsbergs MSE extends its lead the FIA World RX team championship points.
Teammate Andreas Bakkerud again showed speed and incredibly strong starts in Norway but, after a broken driveshaft on the first day, he faced an uphill fight. He barely missed out on a spot in the Final after battling from the back row of his Semi-Final heat to cross the line in fourth.
After winning the previous round at World RX of Great Britain, the Norwegian driver had hoped for a repeat in front of a hometown crowd. Even so, the typically ebullient driver said he was pleased to share the rallycross experience with a rowdy crowd of more than 200 fans who followed him to the race from his hometown of Bergen, Norway. "It was amazing to have so many supporters here," said Bakkerud. "It made for a great atmosphere."
Olsbergs MSE guest driver Daniel Holten had a solid weekend at one of his two confirmed World RX Supercars appearances this season to battle into the Semi-Finals. Holten is focusing on RX Lites this season while also racing a Supercar in the Swedish championship.
The World RX championship stop in Hell saw some 13,000 fans packed into the venue to watch the action as 37 Supercars battled it out, along with stacked fields in the Super 1600 and TouringCar categories.
Olsbergs MSE will return to World RX competition at the end of the month with drivers Bakkerud and Nitiss at the World RX of Finland in Kouvola on June 28-29. Before then, Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship drivers Patrik Sandell and Joni Wiman will be back in action next weekend in Washington, D.C. June 21-22.
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.
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 19 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 its drivers are podium regulars in European competition.
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 Nynäshamn, Sweden, and Huntington Beach, Calif.
In 2014, OMSE campaigns leading cars in World RX, the Global Rallycross Championship, and the Rallycross Supercar Scandinavia championship.
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Video recap:
https://www.youtube.co/watch?v=qTj6YP3wc4g
Media images:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7ydnwavl586h0px/AABYDXO-UdGIGgn4fDqRsgDea
www.olsbergsmse.com
