Andreas Bakkerud kjører årets første løp i Nitrocross i USA denne helgen. Mesterskapet har byttet navnet fra Nitro Rallycross til Nitrocross, og i denne pressemeldingen fra i mai forklarer grunlegger Travis Pastrana hvorfor.
After a drumbeat of social media rumors, today Nitro Rallycross – the disruptive motorsports property created by Travis Pastrana and Nitro Circus – has officially become Nitrocross. The change reflects the dynamic property’s evolution, having grown beyond its rallycross roots into a unique discipline unlike anything else in motorsport. Along with announcing the new name and debuting a sleek, refreshed logo, the 2023-24 season calendar was also revealed.
Pastrana explained: “I love rallycross, with its action-packed sprint racing and door-to-door action. That core hasn’t changed. But we can’t be relegated to the rules historically in place for rallycross.” He added, “The Nitro Circus full-send mentality is also a big part of our DNA. We wanted to make sure that attitude came through loud and clear.”
Nitrocross 2023-24 will encompass 10 rounds, spanning nine months set in six locations. The campaign gets underway at Visions Off-Road 2023, coming to MidAmerica Outdoors in Jay, Oklahoma on June 16-17. Subsequent announced stops will range from the desert Southwest to the frigid Canadian Rockies, all with surfaces varying from dirt and tarmac through snow and ice.
Once again, an elite lineup of motorsports stars, decorated multi-discipline drivers and rising new talent will battle on motorsport’s wildest tracks for the Ken Block Championship Trophy. Last season featured NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott (USA), 2022 Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Rookie of the Year Austin Cindric (USA), F1 champion Jenson Button (GBR), European rallycross winners Andreas Bakkerud (NOR) and Robin Larsson (SWE), recent Extreme E Scotland winner Fraser McConnell (JAM) and many more.
They strapped into the all-electric FC1-X to compete in the property’s marquee top class, Group E. The FC1-X is a revolutionary monster capable of producing the equivalent of 1,070 peak horsepower (800 kW) and accelerating from 0-60 mph in just 1.4 seconds – faster off the line than an F1 car.
Pastrana summed up the vision behind Nitrocross: “We are looking for nothing less than to raise the bar of our events. We need custom-built tracks and better entertainment at the venues. We want Nitrocross to be exciting for the competitors and for fans around the world. We are going to have the highest-flying series on earth, and I can’t wait to see what happens.”