Swedish Rallycross driver Ramona Karlsson has begun a Crowdfunding campaign to allow her to compete in the FIA European Rallycross Championship with her own Supercar Team.
Karlsson is looking to setup the first ever Female Supercar Team, run by herself, with the aim of competing in all five rounds of EuroRX as well as the Swedish Round of The FIA World Rallycross Championship, being held at Holjes this year. Although there is no confirmation of which Supercar she wishes to use, Karlsson has made it clear her aim is to drive a race winning machine and to achieve a place in the Supercar Finals.
Karlsson had a mixed year in 2014, starting off the season in a Per Eklund Motorsport Saab 9-3 Supercar, contesting the first five rounds of the World Championship. After a brief period away from the wheel, she joined WorldRX Commentator Andrew Coley in the commentary box for the ItalyRX round at Franciacorta. Her final drive of the year took place in Germany, where she joined Andy Scott’s Albatec Racing, piloting the team’s second Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar.
Karlsson is very excited about the project, which she intends to become a long term goal as she explained. “The more money we raise, the more tests we can drive, and get better chances to make good results. With our high ambitions, this is a never ending work.” Ramona says. The goal is to run the team for many years from now. “If I succeed to run my own team, this will be a very good base for the future. My goal in the future is to develop the team with more cars and drivers, and this is what I want to do for the rest of my career.”
The Swedish Rallycross driver is also an Ambassador for the FIA Women & Motor Sport Commission and explains how her project will help to promote Women in Motorsport.
“I’ve always been the only woman at the starting line. Motorsport has always been characterised by a macho culture, which sometimes can create tough conditions for women to suceed in the sport. It’s very important for everybody, regardless what you do, to cooperate with people that beleive in you. It would be a big dream come true to work with people with the same attitude and values, and to build up something for the long term. I don’t se this as a mission to change the motorsport culture for my own sake – I want this to be something for everybody, both women and men. My team symbolize that motorsport, as well as all other sports, shall be available for everybody.”
The 2015 FIA European Rallycross Championship season starts in May in Belgium, which followed by events in Germany, Norway, Spain and Italy. The FIA World Rallycross Championship event in Holjes, Sweden takes place on July 3-5.
