Tidemand set for FIA Institute shoot-out

While in 2010 it was Rallycross related Timmy Hansen, the son of Kenneth Hansen, who took part in the shoot-out of the FIA Institute Academy at Melk in Austria this year it will be sporadic Rallycross driver Pontus Tidemand who is one of the 30 racers to join the event at the Wachauring safer driving center and Rallycross venue. Swede Pontus Tidemand is the son of former Rally and Rallycross driver (1996 ERC with Mitsubishi Lancer E2) Tomas Tidemand and Maud Solberg, nowadays spouse of WRC ace Henning Solberg. The 20-year-old started his racing career with cross-karts at the age of 12 and changed to circuit racing later on, but for one year only. Since 2009 he is rallying, most of the times with the aid of his stepfather. On March 25 and 26 Pontus Tidemand raced a Ford Fiesta VI of Andréas Eriksson’s OMSE squad in round one of the Global Rallycross Championship at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, California, in the USA and eventually claimed a fine fourth and fifth place respectively. Having set his focus on doing more 2011 Rallycross events by then the Swede later changed his mind to concentrate on rallying again.

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