Standout Swedish snocross racer and all around nice guy Johan Lidman is returning to the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Pro class as Woodie’s Racing announced today that he has signed two-year contract to ride for their Arctic Cat powered team.
Lidman, of Pitea, Sweden was having the best season of his career in North America in 2013-14, scoring multiple podium finishes before shattering his left kneecap at the March event at Buffalo River Raceway in Glydon, Minnesota. Lidman spent the following summer rehabbing in hopes of returning to prominence with his Warnert Racing team but re-injured the knee while stepping off his sled during a trail ride near his home in Sweden.
A long and aggravating recovery kept him from returning to North America and out of racing completely for two full seasons until he returned to compete in the prominent Scandinavian championship series last winter with the powerful Oktan Lynx team. Although he was not a dominant force in the year-end championships Lidman was competitive throughout the year and most importantly finished healthy.
“I am very excited to be back racing the ISOC series this year,” said Lidman. It’s crazy to think that it has been three years since the last time, because it does not feel like it.
This year racing at home was good for me to get up to speed and prove to myself that I still got it. I feel like I learned a lot from being on the sideline and also this year back racing, which I look forward to applying into my program this coming season.
Team Woodie’s Racing will be a great fit for me and I could not be happier with how everything has come together.”
By joining forces with the Woodie’s Racing team, Lidman will be reunited with the mechanics Ryan Duncan and Nate McConnell, both of whom were key players in his strong effort on the ACS tour in 2014.
The scene at Woodie’s team headquarters in Princeton, Minnesota will have a familiar vibe for Lidman on the cultural level as well, as the team has also announced the signing of Swedish Stadiumcross Champion Nisse Kjellstrom to compete in the Pro Lite class. Twenty-two year old Kjellstrom, of Soderhamn, Sweden raced an Arctic Cat to several podium finishes last season and is considered one of the hottest young prospect in European snocross.
Also joining the team is former racer turned mechanic Johan Ericsson, who will work primarily with Kjellstrom.
Woodie’s Racing will continue to field the largest team on the tour with Mike George coming back and racing the Lites class after sitting out a year with a shoulder injury. Cody Thomsen is back to head the team’s snowbike effort. Kaden Woodie will be contending his first full season in the Sport class along with Jordan Brinkman and Taven Woodie will be stepping up to the Pro-Am Women’s class where she could be an instant podium threat.
