Photo: WTCC Media

Yukinori Taniguchi to drive for Nika Racing in TC2

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Japanese driver Yukinori Taniguchi will make a full-time return to the FIA World Touring Car Championship this season, driving for the Swedish Nika Racing team in the new TC2 category for older S2000 2013 specification cars.

Taniguchi drove during the final part of 2010 and for the full 2011 season with bamboo-engineering, before leaving the Championship until the final three rounds of the 2013 season.

The 45-year-old was eligible to compete in the new Eurosport Asia Trophy, a title which he won while driving for three different teams and in three different makes of car, starting with Wiechers-Sport’s BMW in Japan, moving to Campos Racing’s SEAT for Shanghai and finally driving Nika Racing’s Chevrolet Cruze at Macau.

Taniguchi now returns with Nika Racing, where he’ll race with the number 99 for the upcoming season.

Last season Nika Racing fought for the drivers’ and Yokohama drivers’ titles with Michel Nykjaer, until the Dane was forced out for the last three rounds for budget reasons.

The team also fielded WTCC race winner and BTCC & STCC champion Rickard Rydell during the Shanghai round of the Championship.