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Brian Deegan to make RallycrossRX debut in Finland

Action sports superstar Brian Deegan will take part in the FIA European Rallycross Championship for the first time in Finland this weekend.

California-based Deegan will race a Ford Fiesta Supercar in the fourth round of the nine-event championship, the Rallycross of Finland which takes place at Kouvola, 140 km east of Helsinki.

The 38-year-old FMX pioneer has made a successful transition to rallycross in the last few years, winning an X Games gold medal in 2011. A founding member of the Metal Mulisha, Deegan has a huge army of fans across the world.

Deegan has spoken openly about his desire to compete in European events and may add further outings to his 2013 schedule if this weekend's Finnish run is judged successful.

Deegan will be run in Finland by the official Ford team, OMSE which will also field Tanner Foust in the event.

"I'm looking forward to going to battle in a different country and continuing to gain experience as a rallycross driver. Rallycross has become the next form of motor sport for me to take on," said Deegan.

"It's great to see top line American superstars choosing to enter the FIA Rallycross championship, it's an endorsement that we have real RX racing at the heart of what we are doing and a clear indication that our FIA sanctioned RallycrossRX is attractive on a worldwide basis and not just to European drivers spectators," said Martin Anayi, MD of RallycrossRX

The first three rounds of the championship have each produced a different winner, Foust taking round one in Great Britain before Englishman Liam Doran won in Portugal and Swede Timmy Hansen claimed his first rallycross victory in Hungary.

Three top six results and consistent points scoring have carried Russian racer Timur Timerzyanov into the lead of the championship, the defending title holder six points ahead of Hansen with Frenchman Davy Jeanney third.

RallycrossRX, is part of IMG Motorsport, a division of IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company.

About Brian Deegan

Motocross legend, off-road racer, team owner, and businessman "The General" Brian Deegan is a pioneer in action sports.

At age 17, outfitted with only a credit card, a dirt bike, and an old truck, Brian left his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska for Southern California with dreams of becoming the next big name in motocross. Brian's skills quickly impressed everyone he encountered, and he soon rode his way onto a Supercross Team.

In a pivotal moment in 1997 at the Coliseum in LA, Brian made history and pioneered what is known today as Freestyle Motocross by "ghost riding" his bike across the finish line - astonishing the crowd, stunning the AMA officials, and setting into motion a new breed of competition.

Today, Brian is the most decorated Freestyle Motocross rider in the competition's history with 13 X-Games medals to his name, including X Games 17 Gold medal in Rallycross. He also holds the elite distinction of being the only rider to compete in every X Games competition since the games' inception. In the last year, Brian has dominated the off-road trucking world, taking both Lucas Oil Pro 2 Unlimited and Pro Lite Unlimited Championships, being named Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year in Pro 2 Unlimited, and taking home the 2011 Lucas Oil Driver of the Year (which he also won in 2010).

Brian currently competes in Motocross, Freestyle Motocross, Rally Car, and Short Course Trucks as founder and owner of the Metal Mulisha.

Brian's road to the top has not been without challenge. His career is marked by multiple near-death experiences, several broken bones, a lost kidney, and a severe spleen injury. In the end, it has been Brian's fearlessness and rebel attitude that has established him as one of the top talents and competitors in the sport.

Whether spending time with his wife Marissa and three young children, Hailie, Haiden, and Hudson, overseeing his team and Metal Mulisha business, or performing stunts for major motion pictures, Brian is not slowing down anytime soon. Expanding on his clothing apparel and product line, in 2011 Brian collaborated with Feld Motor Sports to release the first ever line of Hot Wheels Monster Jam Metal Mulisha die-cast monster truck toys.

While Brian continues his domination of the Motocross arena, his partnership with Ford Racing has allowed him to translate his success in Motocross to four-wheel racing while bringing a new sense of energy, talent and excitement to the world of action sports.