Penkse stars Josef Newgarden and Helio Castroneves will test themselves against some of the leading lights of rallycross on ice in the coming weeks.

The duo, along with Austin Cindric, will head to Scandanavia to take part in select rounds of the RallyX on Ice series, which is scheduled to take place over four weekends at venues in Sweden and Norway.

They will compete in the headlining Supercar Lites class, driving identical 310bhp, four-wheel-drive cars.

“I’m really excited and anxious to participate in the RallyX on Ice series,” said Newgarden. “I’ve had the opportunity to drive a lot of different types of race car on a lot of different types of track all around the world, but I’ve never done anything quite like this.

“I’ve been able to see some videos and pictures and it looks like a lot of fun, but also quite challenging. It will help to bring out our pure driving skills, for sure. I look forward to the challenge and hope I can represent Team Penske and IndyCar well.”

Castroneves, who will begin his first full season in sports cars at this weekend’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, echoed Newgarden’s excitement at the chance to try something completely new to him.

“When the opportunity was presented to me to race a rallycross car on ice, I jumped at it,” he said. “I’ve never raced a rallycross car like this and I’ve never raced on ice, so it will be a learning experience for me.

“It blows me away to think about racing a car with spikes in the tires. I’m looking forward to just taking it all in and going out there and doing the best I can. I can honestly say this will help me to complete my motorsport résumé one day.”

Cindric will drive the car at the opening two rounds at Östersund and Höljes in Sweden in early February before Newgarden steps in for the round at Al on February 25, and Castroneves completes the program at the new Gol circuit on March 3.

“Josef and Hélio need no introduction – they are both world-class drivers with first-rate résumés – while Austin is one of American motorsport’s fastest-rising young prospects and we are eager to see what they can all achieve in a rallycross car on ice,” said Olsbergs MSE CEO Andreas Eriksson, who is behind the RallyX on Ice concept. “We are also immensely grateful to Team Penske for supporting their desire to compete.

“They will be up against some of the finest rallycross drivers of the current generation, and to have five full-time World RX Supercar stars and a couple more from GRC across the three classes makes for a quite phenomenal line-up.”