39-year-old Swedish driver Anders Michalak has announced today that he will join the grid of the inaugural 2017 RX2 Series.
Michalak has enjoyed quite a diverse career: he started from motorbikes, securing two Swedish national hillclimbing titles, as well as finishing as runner-up in both the Swedish and Nordic Supermoto championships. Anders then spent the past three seasons at the wheel of Crosskarts, contesting the national championship, where he finished seventh in 2014, fifth in 2015 and fourth last season, and he now hopes that his wealth of experience will be of great help at understanding the new challenge he will be facing in rallycross.
“I’m really excited to be a part of the new RX2 adventure right from the start,” Michalak enthused. “I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be a tough challenge – with no shortage of quick young drivers signed up to compete – but I’m hoping I might be able to teach them a trick or two as well!
“The target is to finish inside the top seven in the standings this year ahead of a full title assault in 2018, and ultimately, of course, I want to reach the pinnacle of the sport – the FIA World Rallycross Championship.”
Anders Michalak will join reigning RX Lites champion Cyril Raymond, Swedish up-and-coming young talent William Nilsson, American hotshot Tanner Whitten, former karting siblings Andreas and Jessica Bäckman, rally converts Guillaume De Ridder and Vasiliy Gryazin, Swedish fast female Sandra Hultgren and Norwegian teen driver Thomas Holmen on the 2017 RX2 International Series, starting from the Belgian round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship on 12-14 May. Further announcements will be made over the coming days.