Nitro Rallycross Race Preview: Glen Helen Tripleheader

Image via Matt Kalish

You’ve read right: the final round of the 2022-23 Nitro Rallycross season, an international journey that took the series everywhere from traditional rallycross venues like Lydden Hill and Strangnas to Canadian ice rounds in Trois-Rivieres and Calgary, is heading back to a familiar home for its final round—and fitting three whole race rounds into the action. Glen Helen Raceway will give fans their money’s worth with three days of racing this time around, with not only the headline Group E finale, but also an international NRX NEXT showdown, the return of side-by-sides, the return of the Van Prix, and even two showdowns for Baja Buggies.

First, how we got here: the series’ US-based season finale had long been announced as coming to a to-be-determined venue in March. The event was originally expanded to a doubleheader after a planned visit to Saudi Arabia in December was quietly cancelled, but even more racing was added to the docket for the Group E cars when last month’s popular round in Calgary had to be modified from the traditional NRX format to account for warmer weather than usual in the area that was making the ice melt. The more than 20,000 fans on hand still got to see Kevin Eriksson win a four-car race under the impropmtu “Stampede” format, but NRX elected to forego awarding feature points as a result.

Nonetheless, Robin Larsson boasts a pretty healthy advantage in the standings, leading his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing teammates Andreas Bakkerud and Fraser McConnell with 344 points to Bakkerud’s 286 and McConnell’s 276. Olsbergs MSE’s Oliver Eriksson is fourth with 265, while series founder and 2021 Supercar champion Travis Pastrana rounds out the top five for Vermont SportsCar with 221. Still, even with three races in three days, it’ll take quite a bit for anyone to catch Larsson at this point. Joining the field as one-offs are DTM legend Timo Scheider, who will partner Oliver Bennett at Xite Energy Racing, and 2019 Race of Champions winner Benito Guerra, running a third OMSE car. The Group E champion will receive the Ken Block Championship Trophy, named by NRX this week in honor of the fallen action sports, rallycross, and gymkhana legend.

For NRX NEXT, it’ll be a showdown of the European and North American champions, as Tommi Hallman makes his return to the United States to face off with Casper Jansson and the rest of the US-based NEXT field. The SXS roster includes the additions of Mint 400 Super Stock winner Sara Price and Extreme E driver Amanda Sorensen, while personalities like Blake Wilkey, Terry Madden, and Jim York will take part in the Van Prix. The Baja Buggies will see Price pull double duty against a roster that also includes UFC fighter-turned-UTV racer Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

Live coverage of Nitro Rallycross action from Glen Helen is available throughout the weekend on Peacock, with coverage kicking off shortly for today’s events and start times at 8PM ET on Saturday and 4PM ET on Sunday. Stay tuned for photos and recaps throughout the weekend!