LOS ANGELES – Nitro Rallycross is taking on a worldwide expansion this year, with series officials announcing its inaugural global season and a groundbreaking schedule that features ten races staged in six countries.
The global Nitro RX series will kick off on June 18 at England’s legendary Lydden Hill Race Circuit. The remaining races will take place in countries including Sweden, Finland, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Nitro RX will return to the United States in early 2023 to hold a championship event.
With a history of having huge jumps and steep banked turns, the series will now take its iconic tracks and introduce them to a host of new settings worldwide. Nitro RX will grow beyond its roots in outdoor dirt tracks, with drivers set to battle in a diverse range of race environments — on tarmac, inside stadiums, through street circuits and over snow and ice.
“I’m so excited to see Nitro Rallycross expand into a full worldwide series. This is the action-packed, no limits racing that teams, drivers and fans have been looking for, and going global has been our goal from the beginning,” said Travis Pastrana, Nitro RX mastermind and 2021 series champion. “We also have the fantastic opportunity to get things started at historic Lydden Hill, an iconic track that is the birthplace of rallycross and home to some of its biggest moments. We are going back to the beginning and making the changes we think are needed to take the sport to the next level.”
The Nitro RX season will also feature an expanded racing lineup led by the competition debut of the FC1-X, a collaborative rallycross car that delivers the electric equivalent of 1,070 peak horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 60 in just 1.4 seconds.
Andreas Bakkerud is a highly decorated driver who got an early taste of what the new vehicle is capable of in demo sessions at Race of Champions. He said, “The FC1-X blew my mind straight out the box, not only from a performance point of view but also with its toughness given the amount of laps we could do on a frozen lake up north in Sweden. The car itself is very promising to drive, loads of power – just like us rallycross drivers like it. It’s going be a blast going head to head with this new car and to see which team can first find that little detail in performance gain for the first few races.”
The FC1-X will flex its muscles in Nitro RX’s new top Group E division. Just as the legendary Group B cars set the rallycross world ablaze in the 1980s, Nitro RX’s new Group E class is set to make another quantum leap.
“I can’t wait to get on the starting line in the FC1-X and see what it can do in the heat of competition. With the car’s game-changing power, Group E will more than live up to the legacy of the Group B’s as it sets a new standard for the sport,” Pastrana said. “This is what Nitro Rallycross is all about: getting the best cars in the hands of the best drivers so they can throw down on the best tracks, anywhere in the world.”
The FC1-X will serve as the A SHOC Energy #GoNitro star car. Last year, two NASCAR Cup Series champions — Kyle Busch and A SHOC Energy athlete Chase Elliott — put in strong performances in the #GoNitro driver’s seat, with Busch nearly making the podium.
In addition to the competition debuts of the FC1-X and Group E, Nitro RX will feature an expanded offering of high-impact racing. The iconic Supercar class will return, giving fans a double dose of elite rallycross competition, while the developmental NRX Next division also makes its way back, providing a pathway for the next generation of drivers.
Each series stop will include additional special disciplines.
CEO of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, Nitro RX’s parent company, Joe Carr said, “We’re thrilled to see Nitro Rallycross step onto the world stage and become a global motorsports property. Expanding to six countries, doubling the event calendar and running through the winter months shows the rising demand for this brand of high-adrenaline, fast-paced racing. We have exciting plans with broadcast and commercial partners that we look forward to sharing as anticipation builds for the 2022-23 season.”