Heikkinen leads Marklund Motorsport in World Rallycross

Finnish rallycross star Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen will lead the Marklund Motorsport team in the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship, partnering Anton Marklund in a pair of brand new VW Polo Supercars.

Heikkinen won two X-Games Gold Medals and the GRC title 2013 but and has set his sights on winning the new World Championship this season. “After a successful year winning the 2013 GRC my goal now is to win the new FIA World Rallycross Championship with Marklund Motorsport, and nothing less,” said Heikkinen. “I’m confident that together we can develop a winning car and team. I want to thank Jan Marklund for this great opportunity to join Marklund Motorsport, I’m pumped for the season ahead.”

Together with new team mate Anton Marklund, Heikkinen will fight for the new teams championship in 2014 as well as the drivers title. “Topi is a great driver and a real competitor – I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing what this season brings,” said Marklund. “We have been working extremely hard over the last 12 months and securing a driver as talented as Topi is testament to the incredible development the team has made. We want to win and be the best team in Rallycross.”

Heikkinen contested his home round of RallycrossRX in 2013 at Kouvola, Finland. He qualified second at the Intermediate Classification but was ruled out of the semi-finals with a puncture. His performances in both that event and in America were enough to catch the eye of Marklund Motorsport team principle, Jan Marklund, who’s team proved the pace of the Polo Supercar in 2013 with both son Anton, and Mattias Ekstrom who finished at second Holjes Sweden.

“Signing Topi shows the sort of progress that Marklund Motorsport is making going into the new season. His results last year speak for themselves and we are incredibly happy to have a champion leading our driver lineup. It’s a very exciting period in our project and shows the hard work and planning that we have put in is really paying off.”

The Finn made the transition from circuit racing to rallycross in 2010, winning the national Finnish Championship in a Saab 93. He graduated to the European Rallycross Championship in 2011, scoring a podium finish at Holjes in Sweden. For 2012 he moved to the GRC with OMSE only for a bad crash at X-Games LA put him out through injury. He bounced back in 2013, winning six events in a row and dominating the GRC. He also collected the AKK Award, awarded by the Finnish ASN for outstanding achievement. prestigious award has previously been won by Kimi Raikkonen, Marcus Gronholm and Keke Rosberg.

Anton Marklund, who finished seventh in RallycrossRX 2013 will embark on his second season at the wheel of a Supercar. The 2012 TouringCar champion had a strong debut season in the category last year and will be a contender for the final places from the first event in Portugal this season.

The pair will also contest X-Games Austin this summer.

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