The Global Rallycross may not have the prestige of Formula One or the following of NASCAR, but it sure has made a name for itself as one of the most exciting racing series in the world. A handful of automakers, including Ford, Subaru, Volkswagen, and Chevrolet already have racers that compete in the series, and for the 2016 season, another one is joining in on the fun.
Honda is entering the fold this season as the new race car provider of the Red Bull Olsbergs MSE team, considered in the Rallycross circle as the most accomplished team in the series’ short history, having won four of the series’ first five championships. In fact, the only one it lost was the 2015 title, which likely brought about the change in race cars. Whatever its reasons are, Olsbergs MSE has traded the Fiesta ST as the team’s official racer for the Honda Civic Red Bull GSR.
The race car is essentially a loosely based version of the production Civic Coupe. It’s been completely recalibrated by Olsbergs and Honda Performance Division for rallycross use, right down to the prevalent use of Red Bull livery. 2014 GRC champion Joni Wiman and 2015 runner-up Sebastian Eriksson will once again race for Olsbergs MSE. While they did have a lot of success with the Fiesta ST, they’re going to be entering the opening round of the 2016 Red Bull GRC in Phoenix, Arizona with a new car that the team hopes can vault its drivers back to the top of the championship standing.
The 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross season starts off in May 2016.