| Bakkerud, Larsson Finish 1-2 in Both Group E Races at Series’ Most Challenging Track
GRANTSVILLE, UTAH (Oct. 7, 2024) – Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Andreas Bakkerud and Robin Larsson scored 1-2 finishes this weekend at Utah Motorsports Campus in the ‘Busch Light Race to the Mountains” Nitrocross Series doubleheader with their DRR/JC Monster Energy Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X electric-powered race cars.
Bakkerud, fighting a strep throat diagnosis and 104-degree fever prior to the weekend’s racing action, drove to a spectacular “clean sweep” by taking his heat race, semifinals and finals on both Saturday and Sunday for his first feature win in over a year in the popular Nitrocross racing series.
Bakkerud’s two main event wins were the second and third triumphs for the new Dodge brand in the 2024-25 Nitrocross series, as the national tour competed on the most challenging pavement and dirt circuit, which featured a 100-foot gap jump and high-banked turns.
Bakkerud opened out the weekend by setting the fastest lap and then capturing his heat race, semifinal and final on Saturday at the wheel of his No. 13 Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X machine, as the personable Norway native took with one-second victory over his DRR/JC teammate Robin Larsson.
On Sunday, Bakkerud duplicated his Saturday performance with wins in the preliminary rounds and jumped to the lead in the finale from his front row starting position. He drove his DRR/JC Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X race car to the lead in turn one and never looked back. Andreas went on to a two-second advantage over Larsson at the checkered flag to complete a “clean sweep” doubleheader
 
“It’s been tough times, and this year was all about getting back and having fun again,” said Bakkerud. “In the first Nitrocross weekend, I was having some bad luck in the finals. I was ready for Utah. But I caught strep throat on Thursday and a 104-degree fever. I was shaking, my hands, fingers, toes and everything, then getting Penicillin and resting. I tried to do as little running as possible on Friday and Saturday in the final, we had the ‘holeshot’ into turn one and it felt good from there., The sun was so low that it was tough to see in the last few corners.
“In the Sunday race, I got a good run from the second starting position. It had more grip, and I was able to get by Robin into turn one. But it was a difficult race with the tight corners, and the racing was very close on this track. I’m just really happy to get back in the winner’s circle this weekend.”
Larsson’s two second place finishes vaulted him back into the Group E points lead as the series heads to Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., for rounds five and six on Nov. 15-16.
“Overall, those were such tough finals to drive, with the position of the sun,” said Larsson, Group E round one final winner last month at Richmond, Va. “It was terrible, but I just followed Bakkerud, and he really enjoyed that win. It was a one-two for the team, and I’m just chasing that consistency like I did in the last two years. P2 is good. You always want to win, but, for the championship, a P2 is really nice. Good points. A solid day for the team and for me.”
In addition to the Bakkerud and Larson’s 1-2 performances, their DRR Dodge teammates Fraser McConnell of Jamaica and local star Lia Block scored top five final finishes this weekend with McConnell fourth on Saturday and Block fifth on Sunday. |
