Nitro RX Heads Back to Los Angeles March 17-19 to Crown Inaugural Group E Series Winner.
Nitro Rallycross (Nitro RX) packed GMC Stadium at Stampede Park this past weekend, as more than 20,000 fans across both days experienced a different breed of horsepower at the iconic venue. A world class field of drivers – including defending Nitro RX champion Travis Pastrana (USA), European RX winner Andreas Bakkerud (NOR) and WRC legend Kris Meeke (GBR) – delivered high adrenaline racing excitement for the passionate crowd as they took on a daunting ice track complete with a nearly 100-foot table top jump, a banked turn and a Joker lap featuring an ice tunnel.
Mother Nature then raised the degree of difficulty higher still, as a sudden Chinook Blast hit the area, pushing temperatures up from 10 to nearly 50 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend. The warm weather threatened to play havoc on the already challenging ice course and spoil Nitro RX’s Calgary debut. With preserving the track quickly becoming the priority, organizers looked to find a way to move forward with the event.
While putting more than four 2,745 lbs, 1,070 hp equivalent FC1-X cars on the track together quickly became impossible, drivers, teams and race officials came together, determined not to let Calgary fans down. Ultimately, the Group E championship format had to be scrapped, but the show definitely went on with the quickly created Nitro Stampede format.
Building off of the first day of head-to-head Battle Brackets qualifiers, Nitro Stampede saw the Group E field throw down one-on-one Sunday, building up to two sets of multi-car finals. While Calgary would no longer be a part of the Group E championship standings, that did not affect the intensity of the racing. Certainly, none of Nitro RX’s premier drivers ever wants to lose.
Nitro RX Stampede had more than its share of jaw-dropping moments: Sunday’s Quarterfinal, pitting Pastrana against Fraser McConnell (JAM), day one’s Top Qualifier, went down to the wire. Despite the growing slickness of the track, both drivers pinned it, with McConnell nearly going off to the side after the table top jump. Pastrana then surprisingly took the Joker early, diving in front of McConnell with a sharp right turn. More drama ensued on McConnell’s Joker lap: holding onto the lead and with finish line fast approaching, Pastrana sent it from the outside, passing McConnell on the merge with only centimeters to spare between their cars. As Pastrana surged past McConnell at the line, the crowd gave a visceral roar, then cheered both drivers as they drove past the grandstand on their way back to the paddock.
Pastrana went on to advance into Sunday’s marquee Super Final, where he faced Kevin Eriksson (SWE), who finished second at Trois-Rivèires two weeks earlier, Meeke and his Vermont SportsCar teammate, Conner Martell (USA). With the Calgary trophy on the line – as well as Group E bragging rights – Eriksson bolted at the start, quickly taking the lead and separating himself from the pack to earn his first Nitro RX win. Martell unfortunately struck a barrier on his early Joker lap, putting him out of the running. This left Meeke and Pastrana to battle for podium position, ultimately taking second and third, respectively. Afterwards, the drivers pulled over to the side of the track to salute the crowd, high-fiving and taking selfies with fans as a thank-you for their inspiring enthusiasm.
For Eriksson the victory had additional significance. “This is a great feeling. To start 2023, I promised myself to stop worrying about anything else and just focus on my racing.” Reflecting on the adversity he faced at the beginning of the season, including the injuries that sidelined him for five months, Eriksson said, “I broke my leg – I broke a lot of stuff. I felt really bad and had to miss the first couple of races. Then I come back at Minneapolis [Nitro RX’s third round] and rolled the car five times. So, it’s been an uphill battle. But we are on a roll now so I can’t wait for the season finale in LA.”
Nitro Rallycross President Brett Clarke added, “With the biggest crowd in Nitro RX’s history, everyone involved – the teams, the drivers, the series – wanted to make sure we put on a great day of racing for the fans. The track team did a tremendous job preserving the course, getting every lap out of the ice that we possibly could. Today also shows the unflagging commitment of the drivers, who stepped up in a big way to race in such adverse conditions. The crowd definitely responded: you could feel the excitement and celebration from the stands. That energy was as palpable as anywhere we’ve been in the world.”
Clarke continued: “Having an outstanding partner in Tourism Calgary was also invaluable. Their support for the event was evident throughout, and the hospitality they provided to the teams and the drivers was absolutely first class. Without a doubt, from the racing through the entertainment to the live presentation, this was our best event ever.”
