Yahoo Autos Audi Sport Decides to Adopt EKS Rallycross and Turn It into a Factory Team
Since 2014, EKS RX has run a modified Audi S1 in the World Rallycross Championship. Founded by Swedish DTM driver Mattias Ekstrom, EKS managed to win the 2016 team championship, while Ekstrom took the drivers' championship. Today, Audi Sport announced plans to give EKS factory backing for the 2017 season.
According to Motorsport, Ekstrom said last year that he would likely need Audi Sport's support in order to compete. "We realize that it's going to be increasingly difficult for EKS to hold its own against the factory teams, so we chose to intensify our World RX commitment," said Dieter Gass, head of Audi Motorsport.
This news comes only a few months after Audi announced its withdrawal from the World Endurance Championship. The German automaker had been a dominant force in endurance racing for more than a decade, but the high cost of its parent company's diesel emissions scandal left Audi without the cash to continue.
So while it's still disappointing that Audi's no longer part of the WEC, at least it hasn't withdrawn from racing altogether.
You Might Also Like
