Network
The Hoonigan Racing Division had a lot to be thankful for over the weekend as its wunderkind driver Andreas Bakkerud won the final FIA World Rallycross event of the season on Sunday, which also earned him third-place honors in the driver’s championship points race.
“I’ve had so many people supporting me on my route to be here today, and it’s a great feeling,” Andreas said. “I’m very proud of myself and of the people supporting me. Hoonigan Racing Division, Ford Performance, and M-Sport put together a great car.”
Andreas Bakkerud closed out a highly successful campaign in the Hoonigan Racing Division Focus RS RX by winning the final race of the year. He even took home the Monster Energy Super Charge award thanks to his strong start off the line in the finals. (Photo Credit: Ford Performance)
It was a fateful time for Andreas to join the Hoonigan ranks as the team expanded to two cars with both he and teammate/team owner Ken Block driving the all-new Focus RS RX—a rally racing version of the new Focus RS developed by the Ford Performance, M-Sport, and Hoonigan Racing Division triumvirate in just seven months leading up to the start of this season.
It was a very hard race because we knew what was on the line
“It was a very hard race because we knew what was on the line,” Andreas added.
From the start of the event, Andreas was running strong. He placed second after the four qualifying. Once the competition started he led flag to flag in both the semi-final and final rounds to take the win.
“Now that it’s been confirmed that I’m third in the driver standings, I’m feeling very emotional—I’ve had so many people supporting me on my route to be here today and it’s a great feeling,” Andreas said. “I am very proud of myself and want to thank all my partners and fans for supporting me. Ever since Ken called me last year to confirm that I was his teammate, it’s been an incredible journey. Today was a very hard race because there was so much on the line and I’m just so happy that I secured a podium in the Drivers’ World Championship.” (Photo Credit: Ford Performance)
“We wanted to come here and win. It was a tight battle, but a brilliant job done by Andreas and the Hoonigan, M-Sport, and Ford Performance team,” Brian Novak, Motorsport Supervisor of Rallycross at Ford Performance, said. “We had some rough parts of the season, but we never gave up; we kept improving the car. We are proud to have it running up front.”
Look for the Hoonigan Focus RS RS supercars carry this momentum into the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship season opener in Barcelona, Spain next April.
