Nitro Rallycross: 2022-23 Season Preview

Image via Nitro Rallycross

Nitro Rallycross kicks off its second full campaign this weekend with a trip to England and visit to Lydden Hill, the birthplace of rallycross. Before you tune into the action live on Peacock or via encore airings on CNBC, check out our NRX 101 below as you get ready for the 2022-23 season!

What are the biggest changes to NRX this year?

The new Nitro Rallycross season is twice the size of last year’s, thanks to the addition of an entire European wing to the schedule. The United Kingdown, Sweden, Finland, and Saudi Arabia will each see NRX for the first time, while two Canadian events in the winter—perhaps the long-awaited realization of rallycross on ice that has been rumored for years?—will also supplement the four American rounds.

But perhaps the biggest change is the introduction of Group E. While electric rallycross cars have been rumored for years, 2022 marks the year that both NRX and FIA World Rallycross have introduced theirs. While the World RX competitor is listed at 660 horsepower, NRX has boasted more than 1,000 on the FC1-X, built by QEV Technologies and Olsbergs MSE. About 250 of that will be reserved for a push-to-pass button, but nonetheless, no rallycross machine has ever boasted that level of power.

What’s the schedule?

The 10 host cities and countries on the 2022-23 Nitro Rallycross calendar have been confirmed, but thus far, only the first three tracks have been officially announced on the NRX website. However, the first three American stops match up with cities and race weekends that were run last year, suggesting those are all returning events.

The question marks come from December forward. The Saudi Arabian and Canadian venues have yet to be announced, while the final American venue is also not yet public knowledge. In addition, if Lydden Hill is any indication, expect even the permanent rallycross venues to see some modifications—NRX has added a dirt tabletop and changed the Joker Lap placement from the track that rallycross lifers are used to at the British birthplace of the sport.

·      June 18-19: United Kingdom (Lydden Hill Circuit)

·      July 30-31: Sweden (Strangnas Motorstadion)

·      August 27-28: Finland (Kymiring)

·      October 1-2: Minneapolis, MN (ERX Motor Park)

·      October 29-30: Los Angeles, CA (Glen Helen Raceway)

·      November 12-13: Phoenix, AZ (Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park)

·      December 10-11: Saudi Arabia

·      January 21-22: Quebec

·      February 4-5: Alberta

·      March: United States

Who’s racing in Group E?

The Group E field features many of the top drivers from last year’s inaugural full NRX season, plus a handful of high-profile newcomers like Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button and WRC veteran Kris Meeke, who will split Xite Energy Racing’s second car. The Star Car that welcomed names like NASCAR champions Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott also moves to the electric division this time around, though it won’t debut in the Lydden Hill opener.

·      #4 Robin Larsson | Dreyer & Reinbold/JC Raceteknik

·      #13 Andreas Bakkerud | Dreyer & Reinbold/JC Raceteknik

·      #16 Oliver Eriksson | Olsbergs MSE

·      #21 Conner Martell | Vermont SportsCar

·      #22 Jenson Button | Xite Energy Racing

·      #23 Kevin Eriksson | Olsbergs MSE

·      #35 Fraser McConnell | Dreyer & Reinbold/Team Frazzz

·      #42 Oliver Bennett | Xite Energy Racing

·      #52 Ole-Christian Veiby | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

·      #62 Kris Meeke | Xite Energy Racing

·      #199 Travis Pastrana | Vermont SportsCar

·      AShoc Energy Nitro Rallycross Star Car

What about everybody else?

If you’re worried about the fate of gas-powered rallycross, never fear—NRX events will still include the traditional Supercars, as well as NRX Next and Crosscar levels, for the most diversity of classes that any American-based form of the sport has ever seen on any given event weekend. Side-by-sides are also expected to return for the North American rounds after seeing substantial team response last year.

That’s good news if you’re a fan of drivers like Scott Speed or Timmy Hansen, who were each within one point of 2021 Supercar champion Pastrana last year but aren’t on the Group E entry list. Speed is expected to run North American Supercar events alongside Pastrana with Subaru Motorsports USA yet again, although it’s unknown how much the Hansens will be involved this year (they’re not in Lydden Hill). The same goes for Tanner Foust, one of American rallycross’ founding names and winningest drivers.

What else can we expect from the racing?

In short? We’ve got no idea. Drivers have raved about the FC1-X, but we’ve yet to see the car really go wheel-to-wheel just yet. It certainly looks more durable than the previous generations of top-tier machinery thanks in part to additional suspension travel. The first final will be unique to watch, though, with numerous Group E cars together for the first time and a mix of boost and Joker Lap strategies to deal with.

Everything else will depend on what the entry lists look like for the various classes. We’re expecting a pretty varied lineup from event to event in the non-Group E divisions, especially in the European events versus the American ones.