Honda pulls out of STCC 2009

Honda Sweden has decided to withdraw from the Swedish Touring Car Championship. Engström Motorsport, that has run Honda in STCC since 2002, will continue without support from the Japanese manufacturer.
“It is a shame that Honda retires but we understand their situation. The decision means that we have to re-organize some things, but the ambition is to remain as a top team in STCC,” said team owner and driver Tomas Engström.

Last year Engström Motorsport, then called Honda Racing, ran two Honda Accord for Thomas Engström and Thed Björk. The reason for Honda to pull their support is the current financial situation.

“In the current financial situation we have decided to prioritize and focus our resources on our main areas. It was a hard decision to take, but due to the current financial situation we had to take it,” stated Honda Sweden in a press release.

Despite the big blow to Engströms efforts, the Swede is aiming for a strong future. The team is aiming to run one or two cars in the STCC this year.

“Similar situations have happened before in STCC. Volvo pulled their support in 2002 when Flash Engineering ran their cars, but they got back and won the championship last year. It is going to be tough this year, but we have good support from our other partners and we will do everything to defend our position as a top team in STCC,” said Engström.