A new team will join the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship season in the form of WorldRX Team Austria which has been setup together by former WRC driver Manfred Stohl and Austrian Rallycross driver & Team Owner Max Pucher.
The team will run two Mk7 Ford Fiesta Supercars, prepared by Stohl Racing, competing in all twelve rounds of the World Championship.
Stohl is well known for his time in the WRC, however he took part in the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship finale at San Luis in Argentina, joining Petter Solberg in his PSRX Team. Stohl made it through to the Semi-Finals, but retired with a mechanical problem. That one event convinced Stohl he wanted to be in WorldRX and both he and Max Pucher shared the same goal.
“When Max and I had first contact, he immediately told me about his dream and vision to eventually bring an Austrian team to World RX,” explained Stohl, “It was difficult to get the money together initially and without Max’s commitment, this project would never have happened.
“I am very pleased that he chose Stohl Racing to also be the builder of our Ford Fiesta Supercars. I am certain that we will race state-of-the-art technology and will be in the thick of the action.”Pucher will be Team Manager as well as driver at WorldRX Team Austria this season and he relishes the challenge ahead of him.
“Rallycross drivers are the new gladiators. The World RX promoter IMG has created a crowd-pleasing format and fast, driver-to-driver combat. The action on both gravel and asphalt is very exciting and creates the perfect motorsport arena,” explained Pucher,
“I believe it is the safest motorsport out there and it costs a fraction of WRC participation, which makes it perfect for teams and sponsors who also get a great cost-to-advertising value ratio. World RX is destined to become one of the most popular motorsport championships. I am very proud to have Manfred as a team-mate and to bring the first Austrian team to World RX.”
Martin Anayi, WorldRX Managing Director for IMG Sports, spoke highly of this new announcement. “It is a pleasure to welcome our first Austrian team to World RX, and we’re very excited to announce a new World Championship team so early in the 2015 season” he said.
“Manfred made an impressive debut in Argentina, and he is a great personality to have on board,” explained Anayi. “We are witnessing a growing number of rally drivers trying World RX and it will be interesting to watch Manfred battle against Petter again, whom he competed against in WRC. I have been very impressed with the professionalism and commitment of World RX Team Austria and it is fantastic to see so many Austrian media attend the team’s press launch today.”
The 2015 World RX season kicks of in Portugal at the Montalegre circuit on 24th-26th of April.
