| RICHMOND, VA (Sept. 6, 2024) – Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR), the two-time Group E championship-winning team, today announced a new partnership with the Dodge brand to enter four Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X electric-powered race cars in the Group E class in the popular 10-round Nitrocross Series, beginning at this weekend’s season-opening doubleheader event on Sept. 7-8 at Richmond, Va., Raceway.
DRR captured the past two Nitrocross Group E series championships with driver Robin Larsson of Sweden, as well as taking the team titles in the highly competitive Nitrocross campaign which competes on pavement and dirt surfaces.
Larsson will lead the talented group of Dodge Hornet FC1-X drivers for DRR including Fraser McConnell (Jamaica) and Andres Bakkerud (Norway). In addition, seventeen-year-old Lia Block (U.S.) rounds out the lineup of DRR Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X drivers. Larsson, a former FIA European Rallycross Champion (2014), took the last two Nitrocross Group E championships with seven victories in the past two campaigns, while McConnell, the 2019 ARX2 Rallycross series champion, has scored four Nitrocross Group E races in the last two years. Bakkerud has placed second and fourth in the Group E division with two wins. Block has already made history as the youngest American Rally Association champion and has previously raced in the Nitrocross NEXT class. She is also the youngest competitor ever in the Group E class and the first and only woman in the class.
“Dodge is well known as a performance brand, so to have them come on board to partner with us is the perfect fit,” said Dennis Reinbold Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team owner. “We both love to go fast, so it’s like we share the same DNA. Such a great alignment for us to compete in Nitrocross as it continues to grow at a record-breaking pace. The level of excitement is growing throughout this series and Dodge has just cranked it up even more! You have to come out to see the power of these cars battling as they literally fly around the track.”
DRR, the team which develops and maintains the Dodge Hornet FC1-X Group E machines, was founded in 1999 by Reinbold, an Indianapolis auto dealer. The legacy of the Dreyer and Reinbold families dates back to the 1920s with Reinbold’s grandfather, the legendary Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, a former Indian factory motorcycle racer and open-wheel car constructor. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified 50 entries for the Indy 500 over the span of 25 years.
“The Nitrocross series has grown in the past four years, making it the perfect venue for Dodge to expand its motorsports presence and to showcase the Dodge Hornet to the enthusiastic Nitrocross audience,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge brand CEO – Stellantis. “We’re looking forward to a great inaugural Nitrocross season for the Dodge brand, with a championship-winning organization like the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team carrying the Dodge banner and with fans getting the chance to experience the Dodge Hornet up close and personal through our Dodge Hornet Rally Rides. It all starts at Richmond.”
The four Dodge Hornet FC1-X race cars, which each produce over 1,000 horsepower, are powered by Magelec Propulsion axial flux motors, generating the equivalent of 1,070 horsepower (800 kW), with the capability of accelerating from 0-60 in just 1.4 seconds. This is faster off the line than an F1 car, producing nearly 2g of acceleration from a standing start— more than enough to propel vehicles across the 200-ft. gap jumps that are common on Nitrocross courses.
The Dodge Hornet FC1-X features a tubular chassis, carbon fiber chassis tub, Alcon braking system, electric power-assisted steering, front and rear double wishbone R53 suspension with adjustable camber/caster with 12-inch wheel travel and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars.
The Nitrocross Series has been one of the fastest growing and most popular motorsports series in North America and features unique competition on specially designed pavement and dirt courses with spectacular jumps and wild drifts. Nitrocross cars battle inches apart in a program with practice rounds, qualifying, heat races and main events in five separate categories, led by the leading Group E class.
The 2024-25 Nitrocross Series is a ten-round tour beginning this weekend with two race programs at Richmond, Va., followed by doubleheader races at Utah Motorsports Campus in Salt Lake City (Oct. 5-6), Firebird Motorsports Park near Phoenix (Nov. 15-16), Miami Marine Stadium (Jan. 11-12) and a Las Vegas course (March 1-2) “Nitrocross is thrilled to welcome Dodge to the series as our first official manufacturer entry,” said Chip Pankow, Nitrocross General Manager. “Dodge is about performance and so are we and we can’t wait to see them prove it on the track.” |
