Mitchell deJong took a convincing victory in the Global Rallycross Championship Lites class to claim an X Games gold medal ahead of team-mate Kevin Eriksson.
The grid for the final was made up of six cars, the top three from semi final A: Mitchell deJong, Nelson Piquet Jr., and Austin Cindric plus the top three from semi final B: Kevin Eriksson, Atila Abreu, and Geoff Sykes. Colton Herta, Mark McKenzie, Alexander Westlund, and Tyler Benson didn’t make it through the semi finals.
In the Texas heat the six-car grid lined up at the Circuit of the Americas ready for the start of the race, it was deJong who would get the leap on the rest of the grid and take the holeshot in to the first corner, behind deJong Eriksson slotted in to second place while Piquet Jr. seemed to have jumped the start a little.
The race wouldn’t last long as the field headed in to the hairpin Piquet Jr.’s car spun around and blocked the track in a misjudged handbrake turn, Cindric and Abreu would collide as they tried to avoid Piquet Jr.; The result of the chaos meant the race was red flagged.
Unfortunately Piquet Jr. would not be able to take the restart as it was deemed that he caused the red flag and in adherence to the rules meant he would be automatically listed as a DNF. Atila Abreu would also be forced to sit out the race, despite making it around to the re-formed grid the steering of his GRC Lite car was broken, with both wheels pointing inwards the officials made their call and was retired from the race before the restart.
Down to four cars for the final deJong once again got the best of his opposition while team-mate Eriksson followed. Sykes and Cindric would get caught up between each other letting the two leading cars pull out a lead. All cars would take their joker lap with the exception of Sykes would would later retire from the race leaving the three cars to circulate to the end of the race.
Despite a late charge from Eriksson it was deJong who went one better from last years Summer X Games to take home the gold medal, Eriksson claimed silver while Cindric grabbed thrid place.
