Nitro Rallycross Race Preview: ERX
After an extended hiatus due to the cancellation of its planned Finnish round at the Kymiring, Nitro Rallycross makes its long-awaited return to action on American soil this weekend at ERX Motor Park in Minnesota. Also known as an off-road truck and snowmobile racetrack, ERX debuted as a rallycross course for the inaugural NRX season last year to rave reviews, as drivers and fans alike loved the huge jumps and all-dirt layout.
This year’s ERX action will see the series’ Group E car, the FC1-X, compete in the United States for the first time after a pair of exciting events at Lydden Hill in England and Strangnas in Sweden. After lesser fortunes in Supercars at ERX—including Cabot Bigham’s spectacular rollover in his Audi—Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/JC Raceteknik are in much stronger shape coming into the weekend this time around, with their lead drivers Andreas Bakkerud and Robin Larsson atop the standings after consecutive 1-2 finishes to start the season. Larsson took top honors in the Lydden Hill opener, while it was Bakkerud’s turn to shine in Sweden, with the bonus of Johan Kristoffersson’s one-off appearance for the team locking out the podium.
ERX will see some fresh faces on the Group E grid, with Jenson Button making his hotly anticipated debut for Xite Energy Racing, Kevin Eriksson returning from injury for Olsbergs MSE, and local hero Andrew Carlson becoming the latest driver to join the fray for DRR. Of the group, Carlson is the driver with by far the most experience at ERX, as his family owns the track and his short course team is based on the grounds.
Joining Group E at the track will be NRX Next, with many of the top European drivers taking part to settle their championship after the first two rounds of that series, and the return of the popular SXS class that ran at multiple rounds last year. While the NRX Next division will see top up-and-coming talent like Tommi Hallman and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, the SXS class will feature a mix of off-road racing regulars, crossover athletes, and established icons. Series founder and Vermont SportsCar Group E driver Travis Pastrana will attempt double duty once again to settle the score with longtime FMX rival Brian Deegan, while fellow FMX legend Robbie Maddison and multi-time X Games skateboarding gold medalist Leticia Bufoni are among the other names who will make appearances.
Missing from the weekend, however, are the Supercars that were the primary focus of last year’s ERX event. That means no Subaru Motorsports USA, and no Scott Speed to defend his win from the premier race last year. While the Supercars are still scheduled to return in America at some point in the future, after two five-car fields in the European rounds this summer, a majority of last year’s returning drivers have moved on to Group E.
As always, Nitro Rallycross from ERX Motor Park can be streamed live on Peacock throughout the weekend. Following this weekend’s action, Nitro Rallycross moves on to two more returning venues: California’s Glen Helen Raceway on October 29-30, and Arizona’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park on November 12-13. The last round of the calendar year will take place on December 10-11 in Saudi Arabia, while Canadian events in Quebec (January 21-22) and Alberta (February 4-5), plus a March finale back in the United States, will conclude the schedule in 2023.
Image via Nitro Rallycross