NIKA Racing

File:Viktor Hallrup Chevrolet Cruze STCC Falkenberg 2011.jpg in 2011.]]

Karlsson founded the team in 2006 and to run a Chevrolet Lacetti for himself under the Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden banner in Swedish Touring Car Championship in 2007, but started at two races only during the season.{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=877|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525170036/http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=877|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2012|title=Karlsson starts a new team|work=Swedish Touring Car Championship|publisher=TouringCarTimes|date=7 December 2006|accessdate=7 December 2006}}{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=1247|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525170033/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=1247|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2012|title=Swedish Chevrolet team Launched|work=Swedish Touring Car Championship|publisher=TouringCarTimes|date=12 June 2007|accessdate=12 June 2007}}

He stepped aside for 2008 to become team manager and the team ran Norwegian Thomas Schie in their car.{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=1846|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525170037/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=1846|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2012|title=Chevrolet signs Norwegian Thomas Schie|work=Swedish Touring Car Championship|publisher=TouringCarTimes|date=1 February 2008|accessdate=1 February 2008}} Schie remained for the most part among the top ten and scored a best result second place in Gothenburg. He finished seventh in the drivers' championship while the team finished fifth in the teams' championship.

Schie continued for the team during the 2009 season, but was forced to leave after six races.{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=3595|title=Thomas Schie leaves Chevrolet|work=Swedish Touring Car Championship|publisher=TouringCarTimes|date=12 June 2009|accessdate=12 June 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071656/http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=3595|archivedate=16 July 2011}} What actually was the reason for this is not entirely clear. Schie said that the team was not enough professionally, while Nicklas Karlsson said that was because Schie could not afford to continue.{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=3615|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525170037/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=3615|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2012|title=Conflict behind Thomas Schie dropout|work=Swedish Touring Car Championship|publisher=TouringCarTimes|date=18 June 2009|accessdate=18 June 2009}} The seat was taken over by Pontus Mörth, who completed the season.{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=3611 |title=Pontus Mörth Confirmed for Chevrolet |work=Swedish Touring Car Championship |publisher=TouringCarTimes |date=17 June 2009 |accessdate=17 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071721/http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=3611 |archivedate=July 16, 2011 }} He often took a few points in the races, but never came up on the podium. Mörth finished eleven in total, while Schie was fourteenth. In the team championship Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden finished fifth.

{{Expand section|date=March 2013}}

{{Expand section|date=March 2013}}

In 2010 Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden joined the World Touring Car Championship for the 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Italy, running a Chevrolet Cruze LT for TC 2000 Championship driver Leonel Pernía who became the first Argentine to race in the WTCC.{{cite news|title=Pernia joins Chevrolet for Monza WTCC races|url=http://richardsf1.com/2010/05/14/pernia-joins-chevrolet-for-monza-wtcc-races/|work=Richard's F1|accessdate=5 March 2013|date=14 May 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216173227/http://richardsf1.com/2010/05/14/pernia-joins-chevrolet-for-monza-wtcc-races/|archive-date=2013-02-16|url-status=usurped}} The team were not eligible for the Yokohama Team's Trophy as the regulations exclude any teams with the name of a car manufacturer from inclusion in the trophy. Pernía finished eighteenth in race one after an excursion through the gravel trap at the Parabolica but he scored a single point in race two when he finished tenth.

The team returned to the championship in 2012, entering a Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T for Rickard Rydell at the season opening 2012 FIA WTCC Race of Italy.{{cite news|last=Veltman|first=Rob|title=Rydell aiming for opening WTCC rounds with new Cruze|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7168|work=TouringCarTimes|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|date=4 February 2012|accessdate=5 March 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206061505/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7168|archivedate=6 February 2012}} Rydell lined up fifth in qualifying and finished both races in the points, including fourth place and a fastest lap in race one.

The team running as NIKA Racing will return to the WTCC in 2013 for the full season with a single Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T.{{cite news|last=O'Leary|first=Jamie|title=NIKA Racing to step up to WTCC on full-time basis in 2013|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105858|work=Autosport|publisher=Haymarket Publications|accessdate=5 March 2013|date=5 March 2013}} They signed Michel Nykjær to drive for them having finished third in the 2012 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship season with the team.{{cite news|title=NIKA RACING CONFIRM MICHEL NYKJÆR|url=http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/655|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130410192311/http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/655|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 April 2013|work=World Touring Car Championship|publisher=Kigema Sport Organisation|accessdate=18 March 2013|date=15 March 2013}} However Nykjær left the team before the end of the season and was replaced by Hiroki Yoshimoto in Japan, Rickard Rydell in China and Yukinori Taniguchi in Macau respectively.{{cite news|last=Tremayne|first=Sam|title=Hiroki Yoshimoto takes Michel Nykjaer's World Touring Car seat|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109951|work=Autosport|publisher=Haymarket Publications|accessdate=19 September 2013|date=19 September 2013}}{{cite news|title=Rickard Rydell to make WTCC return in Shanghai|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2013/10/07/rickard-rydell-to-make-wtcc-return-in-shanghai/|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|work=TouringCarTimes|accessdate=7 October 2013|date=7 October 2013}}{{cite news|first=Neil|last=Hudson|title=Yukinori Taniguchi jumps ship again, joins Nika for Macau|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2013/11/09/yukinori-taniguchi-jumps-ship-again-joins-nika-for-macau/|work=TouringCarTimes|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|accessdate=9 November 2013|date=9 November 2013}}

In 2014 NIKA Racing announced that they will compete in the TC2 category with Yukinori Taniguchi driving Honda Civic{{cite news|url=http://www.fiawtcc.com/news/detail/id/2755/t/22-CARS-ENTERED-FOR-THE-SEASON|title=22 CARS ENTERED FOR THE SEASON|publisher=World Touring Car Championship|date=21 March 2014|accessdate=21 March 2014}}{{cite news|last=Hudson|first=Neil|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2014/03/26/yukinori-taniguchi-to-drive-for-nika-racing-in-tc2/|title=Yukinori Taniguchi to drive for Nika Racing in TC2|work=TouringCarTimes|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|accessdate=26 March 2014|date=26 March 2014}} The team ultimately appeareded only in Hungary.

For the 2015 season the team upgraded to TC1-spec Honda Civic WTCC, built by JAS Motorsport.{{cite news|last=Hudson|first=Neil|title=Rickard Rydell to enter the 2015 WTCC with NIKA-run Honda|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2014/04/16/rickard-rydell-to-enter-the-2015-wtcc-with-nika-run-honda/|work=TouringCarTimes|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|date=16 April 2014|accessdate=15 November 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Hudson|first1=Neil|title=Rickard Rydell all set for his WTCC return next season|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2014/12/09/rickard-rydell-all-set-for-his-wtcc-return-next-season/|website=TouringCarTimes|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|accessdate=10 December 2014|date=9 December 2014}} Rickard Rydell returned to the series with the team. However, illness forced him to miss some early-season events, and Néstor Girolami was later drafted in to race in Slovakia and Portugal, the latter of which turned out to be the team's last-ever race meeting.

For 2016 season the team sold the Honda Civic to Zengő Motorsport to compete with a Chevrolet Cruze and the driver John Bryant-Meisner.{{cite news|url=http://www.nikainternational.se/racing/nika-international-switch-to-chevrolet/|title=Nika International switch to Chevrolet|publisher=Nika International|date=30 March 2016|accessdate=30 March 2016}} However, the team never showed up owing to financial challenges with Bryant-Meisner's sponsors, and the team withdrew from all racing activities thereafter.

{{reflist}}

{{WTCC teams}}

Category:2006 establishments in Sweden

Category:Swedish auto racing teams

Category:World Touring Car Championship teams

Category:Auto racing teams established in 2006