Nineteen year‐old Johan Lidman will join the Team Sportech Racing effort for the 2010‐2011 season and will compete in the pro ranks for the entire ISOC National tour.
Hailing from Pitea, Sweden, a small coastal town in northern Sweden, Johan started his racing career at 11 years of age. Now just 19, Johan has demonstrated he has both the physical and mental abilities to win at the highest level in the sport.
Johan is no stranger to success, having won both the Swedish National Championship and the Swedish Super Stadium Snocross Championship last season. But despite those impressive year‐end accomplishments, North American snocross fans may best recognize Johan for one race in particular during the FIM Snocross World Championship in Mala, Sweden this past April. It was here, where Tucker Hibbert was abruptly introduced to the speed and ability of Lidman, when Johan rocketed past Hibbert for the lead in the second round of racing. While Hibbert eventually went on
to win the race and the World Championship, Lidman finished second overall and almost instantly became a global snocross sensation with his impressive showing.
"Johan really captured our attention with his outstanding performance on the track last year," said Team Sportech Racing owner and manager Chris Carlson. "There's no question in my mind that this young man can compete with the best riders in the sport."
After several phone calls and discussions with Arctic Cat Race Manager Mike Kloety, Lidman and his father Leif made the journey to Elk River, Minn. in late June to meet Carlson and his family; tour the facilities of Sportech, ERX Motor Park, which is also owned by Carlson; as well as the Arctic Cat headquarters in Thief River Falls.
Helping Johan adapt to the rigors of national competition in the United States will be Andrew Carlson, a fixture of the Team Sportech Racing effort for many seasons and son of Chris Carlson.
"There are only a handful of athletes in this sport than can generate huge levels of awareness beyond the track," said Carlson. "Guys like Tucker (Hibbert) and Levi (LaVallee) can do that and we believe Johan is quickly going to become one of those top caliber athletes."