Victor Henriksson has confirmed his entry on the Pirelli International later this month as a part of continued his support from UK sponsor PPIK.

Henriksson, the inaugural winner of the Fiesta ST shoot out, spent 2007 working with Cumbrian Based M-Sport team. During his year in the UK, he completed a limited number of events with backing from PPIK, the Leeds based Karting concern. PPIK have confirmed that they will continue to support the young Swede in 2008 as part of the continued brand development program. This includes providing support for young motorsport talent.

As just one of three Swedish Fiesta entries on the Pirelli, Henriksson is looking forward to competing in Cumbria alongside his fellow countrymen.  “We will be completing the same stages as the UK Fiesta competitors on the second leg of the rally. The Fiesta championship in Sweden, like the UK, is very competitive. We all want to prove who is the quickest. Andreas and Joakim, like me have competed in Cumbria before in the Fiesta Shootout. This time we will be doing a real rally and real stage times. We can compare times with all the other Fiestas to see who really is, the quickest driver at the moment.”

PPIK’s continued brand association with Henriksson is as a direct result of the success the partnership achieved on last years Rally Wales GB where the Swede served notice of his future international ambition by taking the FSTI class win. However, despite beating regular FSTI competitors, Victor was not the first Fiesta home in Wales. That honor fell to Elfyn Evans who inherited the lead from Henriksson after he lost his brakes on SS9.

“There are one or two UK Fiesta drivers who I think are quick. The test for me will be to set fast times on strange roads. Swedes who know Keilder, have told me to be careful in there or your car goes back home on the ferry not looking the same as when it left. We Swedish Fiesta drivers will be doing all we can to see if we are quicker than the UK Fiestas.”

Provided they can stay on the road it should prove to be an interesting opportunity to compare the relative merits of the UK and Swedish Fiesta drivers. All three Swedes were impressive at the Fiesta shootout competitions with Sjolander narrowly missing out in last years final to winner Adam Gould who has followed Henriksson in securing a year’s placement with the M-Sport run, BP Ford World Rally Championship team.