Robin Larsson Wins Inaugural Group E Championship at Nitro Rallycross 2022/23 Finale

DREYER & REINBOLD TEAMMATES FRASER McCONNELL AND ANDREAS BAKKERUD COMPLETE PODIUM SWEEP OF BOTH THE LA FINAL AND CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE
Nitro RX to Kick Off its 2023/24 Season June 16-17 at Visions Off-Road; Tickets On-Sale Now

(Los Angeles, CA / Tuesday March 21, 2023) Nitro Rallycross wrapped up its inaugural global season this weekend in thrilling fashion at Los Angeles’ iconic Glen Helen Raceway. Following a triple shot of fiercely contended finals, with three different drivers winning each round, Robin Larsson (SWE) clinched the series title on Sunday. He also had the honor of hoisting the new Ken Block Championship trophy, which was presented by Lucy Block and the Block family.

After winning under the lights on Friday night’s opener, Larsson’s Dreyer Reinbold Racing (DRR)/JC teammate Andreas Bakkerud (NOR) came in third on Sunday, earning second place in the season standings. Keeping it in the DRR family, rising star Fraser McConnell (JAM) finished second on Sunday and took third in the championship.

Larsson had built a strong series lead going into the LA finale, with two victories and six podiums across the season’s first seven rounds. But Larsson went cold during the first two races this weekend, uncharacteristically finishing last on Friday and off the podium in fourth on Saturday.

Sunday though, it was a very different story. Larsson reasserted himself with a Top Qualifier win, then in a tight semifinal battle, beat Travis Pastrana (USA). In the final, Larsson launched from row two, quickly passing McConnell and then – with his trademark precision and tenacity – worked his way through the field to take the checkered flag and seal the Group E championship.

Afterwards, Larsson said: “This feels really good. It’s special. My prior wins were in Europe. But here, we have top guys from all over the world. It’s so competitive. With five different winners throughout the series, you never knew going into each race who was going to win it. You had to be at your best and take advantage of every chance you got. That’s what I like.”

Bakkerud said: “Big up to Robin. All season long, he has been Mr. Consistent. It shows his attitude and commitment… Of course, I would’ve loved to have been the one lifting the trophy. But I’m just immensely proud of him and the whole team.”

Sunday brought McConnell full circle. He scored the first major rallycross victory of his career at Nitro RX’s prior Glen Helen stop in October, then in the finale capped off his breakout year by securing his third-place series finish.

McConnell said: “This is incredible. I still consider myself quite new to this sport, and coming from Jamaica, nothing in rallycross exists to this scale. So, I’m looking to push the sport back home… To be able represent my country on a stage as big as Nitro RX is an incredible feeling. It’s an honor every time I go out on the track.”

Regarding the debut of Group E’s revolutionary all-electric FC1-X, McConnell added, “The sky is the limit with it, and I think we have a great thing going.”

Group E Final (Round 10 – Los Angeles):

PositionCar #NameNationTeam
14Robin LarssonSWERX Cartel / DRR JC
235Fraser McConnellJAMDRR
313Andreas BakkerudNORRX Cartell / DRR JC
416Oliver ErikssonSWEOMSE
571Benito GuerraMEXOMSE
6199Travis PastranaUSAVermont SportsCar
721Conner MartellUSAVermont SportsCar
823Kevin ErikssonSWEOMSE

Group E 2022/23 Driver Championship Results:

Pos.Car #NameNat.Team12345678910Total
14Robin LarssonSWEDRR JC/RX Cartel58(1)49(2)54(2)47(2)35 (5)56 (1)45 (3)26 (8)36 (4)58 (1)403
213Andreas BakkerudNORDRR JC / RX Cartel49(2)56(1)35(4)45(3)45 (3)24 (8)32 (7)53 (1)45 (3)43 (5)371
335Fraser McConnellJAMDRR36(4)36(4)42(3)58(1)29 (6)32 (6)43(4)54 (2)21 (9)47 (2)348
4199Travis PastranaUSAVermont SportsCar29(7)21(9)53(1)1(8)58 (1)35 (5)24 (8)35 (6)58 (1)38 (6)330
516Oliver ErikssonSWEOMSE30(6)31(8)26(8)35(6)36 (4)54 (2)53 (1)36 (4)27 (7)38 (4)313
621Conner MartellUSAVermont SportsCar18(10)32(6)27(7)27(7)47 (2)18 (10)29 (6)27 (7)32 (5)29 (7)250
723Kevin ErikssonSWEOMSE6(10)35(5)24 (8)36 (4)47 (2)16 (5)52 (2)29 (8)245
842Oliver BennettGBRXITE Energy Racing21(9)17(10)33(5)36(4)26 (9)26 (7)33 (5)1 (9)24 (8)21 (9)220
962Kris MeekeGBRXITE Energy Racing29(8)26(7)27 (7)43 (3)21 (9)146
1012Timo ScheiderDEUXITE Energy Racing43 (3)32 (6)18 (10)93
1152Ole Christian VeibyNORJC32(5)32(5)64
1268Niclas GronholmFINOMSE42(3)15(11)57
133Johan KirstofferssonSWEDRR JC43(3)43
149Chase ElliottUSAOMSE17 (10)20 (9)34
152Austin CindricUSAOMSE17 (10)14 (11)31
1615Andrew CarlsonUSADRR30(6)30
1722Jenson ButtonGBRXITE Energy Racing21(9)– – 21
1871Benito GuerraMEXOMSE0 (10)0 (5)0

Previously on Saturday, DRR JC clinched the first Group E Teams Championship. Thanks to Larsson and Bakkerud dominating the podium, DRR JC surpassed their nearest competitor, OMSE, by nearly 200 points.

Group E 2022/23 Teams Championship Results:

Pos.# of CarsTeam Name12345678910Total
15DRR JC10710589928080777981101891
22OMSE724632706090100527967668
33Vermont SportsCar475380281055353629067638
41DRR68797258293243542047502
54XITE Energy Racing50435436536954445639498

In NRX NEXT, Nitro RX’s developmental class, a world title was also on the line Sunday, with European NEXT winner Tommi Hallman (FIN) vying with North American NEXT champion Casper Jansson (SWE) for the top prize. In the end, Hallman completed a sweep of the weekend, winning both the qualifier on Saturday and then Sunday’s final to take the championship while Jansson came in second. Simon Olofsson (SWE), no stranger to the NEXT podium himself this season, finished third in Sunday’s final and Lane Vacala (USA) placed third in the championship standings.

NRX Next World Final:

FinishCar #NameNationTeam
187Tommi HallmanFINTeam Faren
236Casper JanssonSWEOMSE
352Simon OlofssonSWESTS RX
455Lane VacalaUSABAK 40 Motorsport
599Eric GordonUSABAK 40 Motorsport
644Jimmy HendersonUSABAK 40 Motorsport

NRX Next World Championship Final Standings:

FinishCar #NameNationTeamRd 1Rd 2Total
187Tommi HallmanFIN 63 (1)66(1)129
236Casper JanssonSWE 62 (2)59 (2)121
355Lane VacalaUSADRR51 (3)45 (4)96
444Jimmy HendersonUSABAK 40 Motorsport44 (5)42 (6)86
599Eric GordonUSABAK 40 Motorsport41 (4)40 (5)81
652Simon OlofssonSWE 10 (6)48 (3)58

Throughout the season, the Side-By-Sides special class has been a fan favorite, drawing star drivers like Brian Deegan, Robbie Maddison and BJ Baldwin while deepening Nitro RX’s ties to both action sports and off-road racing. This weekend’s field maintained that high caliber, with UTV and off-road pros Amanda Sorensen (USA), Sara Price (USA) and Scottie Lawrence (USA) competing.

On Sunday, young phenom Gregoire Michaud (CAN) scored his third consecutive finals victory and eighth straight podium to clinch the series title. Lawrence and Price finished second and third in the final, while 13-year-old Ben Maier (USA) added more fuel to the SxS youth movement, taking second place in the series standings. Olympian and action sports star Leticia Bufoni (USA) earned third place on the championship table.

Side-By-Sides Final (Round 8):

FinishCar #NameNation
127Gregoire MichaudCAN
277Scottie LawrenceUSA
378Sara PriceUSA
411Amanda SorensenUSA
513Leticia BufoniUSA
667Ben MaierUSA

Side-By-Sides 2022/23 Championship Results:

Pos.No.NameNAT12345678Total
127Gregorie MichaudCAN58 (2)58 (3)56 (3)59 (2)61 (2)66 (1)66 (1)66 (1)490
267Ben MaierUSA41 (4)53 (2)40 (4)53 (3)33 (8)57 (2)51 (3)17 (6)345
313Leticia BufoniUSA30 (7)36 (6)28 (8)25 (8)32 (6)31 (7)40 (5)41 (5)263
4199Travis PastranaUSA56 (3)64 (1)59 (2)64 (1)243
538Brian DeeganUSA66 (1)47 (4)65 (1)40 (7)218
649Robin ShuteGBR6 (8)0 (8)42 (5)42 (4)44 (5)55 (3)189
777Scottie LawrenceUSA65 (1)5 (9)57 (2)60 (2)187
857Lia BlockUSA30 (7)36 (5)31 (7)43 (5)140
911Amanda SorensenUSA50 (3)41 (6)44 (4)135
1078Sara PriceUSA45 (4)54 (3)99
1197BJ BaldwinUSA39 (4)40 (4)79
12922Robbie MaddisonAUS34 (6)42 (5)76
13188Terry MaddenUSA41 (5)30 (7)71
14111Jeff MatiasevichUSA35 (8)36 (6)71
1522Demi BagbyUSA20 (9)24 (8)0(7)44
1611Jim YorkUSA-34 (6)34

Event partners for Nitro RX’s 2022/23 season finale include A SHOC Energy, Yokohama Tire, Smirnoff Ice, O’Reilly Auto Parts, myenergi, and Insta360.

Up Next:

Fans will not have to wait long to get their first taste of Nitro RX’s 2023/24 season: Nitro RX will headline Visions Off-Road 2023 at MidAmerica Outdoors in Jay, Oklahoma on June 16-17.

In addition to hosting to the first stop of Nitro RX 2023/24, fans can see Nitro Circus shows, the biggest off-road racing series in motorport – from the new Truck Championship Series to Ultra4 USA endurance to MAO Racing short course – and more.

On top of that, live shows and entertainment every day will provide all kinds of fun and adventure for the whole family. Plan a summer vacation your family will never forget at the biggest and best Visions Off-Road event yet.

Visions Off-Road 2023 tickets and camping reservations are available now at visionsoffroad.com.

ABOUT NITRO RALLYCROSS

Launched in 2018 by motorsports icon Travis Pastrana and the innovators of Nitro Circus, Nitro Rallycross has revolutionized motorsport. With innovative purpose-built courses, banked turns inspired by the wide-open action of Supercross and short-form, head-to-head competition, Nitro RX creates high-impact, thrill-packed racing. Nitro RX’s custom-built tracks – featuring the biggest jumps seen in motorsports – create unrivalled racing excitement. The full-throttle competition is now going global with Nitro Rallycross’ expansion into a full standalone championship series. Nitro RX is also adding Group E, an electric circuit featuring the all-new FC1-X, the most powerful Rallycross vehicle ever built. For more information, visit NitroRallycross.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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