Swede Rickard Rydell is to race a Honda Civic TC1 in the 2015 World Touring Car Championship after Nika Racing announced plans to enter under the Honda Racing Team Sweden banner.
Rydell, an experienced touring car racer of 94 starts and 24 podiums, has competed sporadically in the WTCC over the past few years, entering one event in 2012 and 2013 respectively. It will mark the Swede’s first full-time campaign since he raced for SEAT in 2009.
“I’m thrilled to be representing an all-Swedish team in the WTCC starting next year,” said five-time WTCC race winner Rydell. “The Honda Racing team Sweden project is one of great promise, and I’ll approach it with full dedication.
“The WTCC is highly competitive and lots of fun, and the new TC1 rules will provide us with an interesting technical challenge. I’m really looking forward to getting testing underway later this year!”
Nika Racing Team Principal Nicklas Karlsson is pleased to be able to announce his plans for next year so early. The team have already announced plans to compete in selected events in 2014 with Yukinori Taniguchi at the wheel of a TC2-spec Honda Civic.
“This is an exciting step into the future for NIKA Racing,” said Karlsson. “The prospect of fielding Rickard Rydell in a full-time, all-Swedish WTCC assault is obviously highly inspiring for everyone involved, and the TC1 rules have opened up the door to some even more intense racing. In Honda Sweden, we have a very strong partner, and we do have high ambitions.”
Honda Europe’s Motorsport Manager William De Braekleer is pleased to be able to add another independent national outfit to the marque’s existing Hungarian (Norbert Michelisz) and Moroccan (Mehdi Bennani) connections.
“Ever since we joined the WTCC, it has always been in Honda’s policy to make our cars available to private teams; we think it is giving the championship extra interest,” explained De Braekleer. “Besides a Hungarian and an Italian/Moroccan private outfit, it’s needless to say that we are delighted to welcome such a professional team as NIKA Racing to the Honda racing family!”