As the second round preparations are underway for this weekend’s racing, the series is preparing for its fastest round yet. ERX Motorsports park is set to be the fastest track of the season by Nitro’s expectations. The track is part of the Lucas Oil Off-Road series which features an all dirt track with multiple sweeping turns and blind crests. Drivers will take to the track this time to show what the rallycross cars can truely do at this venue. ERX is one of four new venues for this inaugural season and is highly anticipated as being a fast and flowy track.
Fast and flowy is just the kind of track that the drivers at Subaru Motorsports like, especially Travis Pastrana. The action superstar tested the track months ago along with Scott Speed and Andreas Bakkerud. With the preseason testing they have done, they should have a solid baseline to start from this weekend offering them a major advantage over the competition.
However, testing on the track is one thing but actually driving it is another and that’s where Andrew Carlson comes in. Carlson is part owner of ERX and a driver of Pro 4 trucks of which he has experience at this particular track. The American has partnered with OMSE for the weekend and will be piloting the Honda Civic on track. Meanwhile, Fraser McConnell looks to have another strong result this weekend while Oliver and Kevin Eriksson look for redemption after struggling in Salt Lake City.
RX Cartel is looking to climb back also after they could not catch a break in round one. Liam Doran and Robin Larsson both looked strong in practice but couldn’t keep the pace during the race. With ERX’s layout, their full-send style should suit them better at a track with a better surface and layout for the fantastical drivers.
Fantastic is what you’d call Red Bull Hansen’s round one result after bringing home medals for the team a consecutive third time. The Hansen brothers, Timmy and Kevin, were on the top steps of the podium last weekend after the wicked fast Puegot’s kept the base best after the dust had settled. With cars as good as those, look for Red Bull Hansen to keep the pace and potentially top the leaderboards this weekend at a less damaging track.
Keeping the pace is what Tanner Foust and Cabot Bigham do best in rallycross. Following their round one performances, each driver looks to reclaim some pride this weekend after both cars fell out of the final in SLC. While they both made it into the final, damage and punctures kept them off of the top steps last weekend. With Foust’s undeniable skill and Bigham’s experience, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will be looking to keep up with the best at ERX.
Skill and experience are a necessary combination when it comes to rallycross, something Steve Arpin proved last weekend. The GRX Loenbro driver piloted his Hyundai i20 to the second step of the podium claiming a medal his first time out in the car. With a small privateer team, he managed his pace and didn’t sustain damage which allowed him to take home a respectable second place. He will be looking for more awards this weekend at ERX.
Lastly, the other privateer team XITE Energy Racing driven solely by Oliver Bennet is looking to improve upon his performance after being cut just short of the final last weekend. Bennet was on pace but a series of technical issues and missed turns ended his weekend early last time out. With a more stable track with fewer hazards and better dust, the Brit will look to take on a stacked field.
NRX NEXT sees a new addition with John Holtger, another trophy truck driver, joining the field. After wins from Casper Jansson and George Megennis last weekend, the NEXT field is looking better and better in terms of competition.
