Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen claimed the 2013 Global Rallycross Championship after maintaining his unbroken podium run in a Ford Fiesta ST at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the United States.
After five consecutive wins, the Finn only needed two points in his Bluebeam OlsbergsMSE car to add the drivers’ crown to the manufacturers’ title already sealed by Ford. Third place was sufficient and Heikkinen has now finished on the podium in all eight rounds.
“This is such a great moment for us,” said Heikkinen, who bounced back after breaking his left ankle in a serious crash last year. “It is a very good feeling to have done so well and be on the podium once again. The race here was definitely the toughest so I was happy to be able to finish third.
“Winning the GRC Championship was really a dream for me so it’s quite good to have won it before the last race of the season,” said Heikkinen. “There have been so many of my team and sponsors that have pushed me to get here and I am just so grateful for them.”
Scott Speed won the race to claim his second victory of the season, the OMSE 2 Fiesta ST having won his second heat to automatically advance to the final.
“We are pretty fast on the Tarmac and on the dirt,” said Speed, who won the first race of the season in Brazil. “This was pretty much all dirt so it fitted our car really well and I felt fast all day. I survived, which seems to be key. I’m happy to be back on the podium and feeling good about being one of the fastest since I haven’t had the same luck since the first race.”
The podium sweep was rounded out by Brian Deegan, driver of the Rockstar Energy OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST, who claimed his second runner-up finish of the season.
“Scott got out ahead of me and I tried to catch up the entire nine laps but we were running the same speeds. There were certain times I was catching him and other places he was flat out beating me. I finished as best as I could with a damaged car and a second was good,” said Deegan.
The podium sweep was the fourth for Ford and the OlsbergsMSE team this season. Ford Fiesta STs won five of the six heats, with Ken Block claiming two wins and Tanner Foust one.
The GRC season ends in Las Vegas on 7 November.
Final results (Ford finishers)
1. Scott Speed
2. Brian Deegan
3. Toomas Heikkinen
5. Steve Arpin
7. Ken Block
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