Ford America has announced that a modified Ford Fiesta ST will compete in the 2013 season of the Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) and Global X Games events following the racecar’s unveiling at this weekend’s Chicago auto show.
Two Ford Fiesta ST GRC cars driven by Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan and built by OlsbergsMSE – the team behind Foust’s 2012 and 2011 driver’s championships and Ford’s two consecutive manufacturer’s championships – will compete in the series that will this year see not only rounds in North America and at the X Games but also at new rounds in Brazil, Spain and Germany.
Ford Racing director Jamie Allison said with Global RallyCross proving a great way to demonstrate the ability of Ford’s small performance cars, the group’s commitment to the extreme sport is growing quickly.
“Global RallyCross and X Games allow us to connect with the next generation of Ford customers and a very important group of performance enthusiasts,” Allison said.
Joining Foust and Deegan in piloting a new Fiesta ST in the 2013 GRC championship is world-renowned sideways bandit Ken Block with the backing of his recently revealed Hoonigan Racing Division.
The standard road-going 132kW/240Nm Ford Fiesta ST three-door will arrive in local showrooms during the second half of this year, with an anticipated starting price between $25,000 and $30,000.
The Chicago auto show is open to the public from February 9 to 18.