Nitro Rallycross Delivers Intense Battles and Airtight Finishes at So Cal Opener

KEVIN HANSEN TOPS TRAVIS PASTRANA IN SUPERCAR QUALIFYING;

CASPER JANSSON WINS NRX NEXT FINAL

Racing Resumes Sunday with Supercar Class Finals

(Los Angeles – November 20, 2021) Nitro Rallycross threw the Southern California round of its 2021 championship series into high gear on day one of the tour’s penultimate stop at iconic Glen Helen Raceway. The elite field of world class drivers, including Travis Pastrana (USA), Tanner Foust USA), Scott Speed (USA) and more, showcased Nitro RX’s high adrenaline action which featured 100-ft jumps, metal-on-metal passes and classic finishes, all on the series’ latest revolutionary track.

In the top Supercar class, Pastrana came out of the gate strong in the Battle Brackets qualifier and advanced through to the final, where he faced off against Kevin Hansen (SWE). While previously Pastrana had set the pace, Hansen immediately dropped the hammer, shutting the door on Pastrana and taking the inside line at the start. The pair battled throughout, with Pastrana even taking the joker lap with Hansen. Seeing an opening to make a decisive move, Pastrana passed Hansen on the inside, but shot wide. Hansen then retook the lead and held on for the win. The victory, Hansen’s second top qualifier of the series, secured pole position for the Sunday heat of his choice as well as four series points.

In another highlight from the day, Speed faced Kevin Eriksson (SWE) in round two.  After Speed’s textbook start, Eriksson steadily gained ground to get side-by-side on the final lap. It was back and forth right down to the wire, with Eriksson poised to overtake Speed as they launched across the finish line, but he came up just 0.047 of a second short. Afterwards four-time X Games medalist Liam Doran (GBR) called it the best racing of the series so far.

The Supercar competition resumes on Sunday with series of heats, semifinals, and a last-chance qualifier (LCQ). Both a spot in the eight-car final as well as the opportunity to earn more championship points on the line, which is all the more crucial with only one more round remaining.

Supercar Qualifying Order (Round 4):

In the NRX Next developmental class, Casper Jansson (SWE) scored his second finals victory. Late in the deciding race, Sage Karam (USA) had a prime opportunity to extend his streak of three-straight wins. But Jansson, who had steadily worked his way up the pack, seemingly came out of nowhere with a pass on the joker to move into first. Karam then fought off mechanical issues to hold on to third place with George Megennis (USA) finishing second.

NRX Next Final (Round 7):

More Supercar and NRX Next action is on deck Sunday at Glen Helen Raceway, a premier off-road racing destination and home of the AMA 125/250 MX Nationals, the Off-Road Winter Series and the National MX track.

To experience Nitro RX’s high-flying action in person, tickets can be purchased at https://www.nitrorallycross.com/calendar. Fans can also watch live on Peacock in the U.S. as well as on YouTube worldwide.

2021 NITRO RALLYCROSS SCHEDULE

Sept. 24-25 // Utah Motorsports Campus // Salt Lake City, Utah

Oct. 2-3 // ERX Motor Park // Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nov. 13-14 // Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park // Phoenix, Arizona

Nov. 20-21 // Glen Helen Raceway // Southern California

Dec. 4-5 // The FIRM // North Florida

MEDIA ASSETS:

Photo assets coming soon

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 Rallycross creates high-impact, thrill-packed racing. NRX’s custom-built permanent tracks – featuring the biggest jumps seen in motorsports – create unrivaled racing excitement. The full-throttle competition is now set to go global, as Nitro Rallycross expands into a full standalone championship series. Looking ahead to 2022, NRX will also add an electric Supercar circuit featuring the all-new FC1-X, the most powerful Rallycross vehicle ever built. For more information, visit NitroRallycross.com.

Nitro Rallycross is part of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment. Thrill One is a next-generation content company that lives at the nexus of sports, entertainment and lifestyle, combining the resources of Nitro Circus, Street League Skateboarding, Nitro Rallycross and Thrill One Media. A multi-media platform founded in 2020, Thrill One is dedicated to creating mind-blowing action sports events and original content, fueled by the most daring athletes, talent and brands in thrill-based entertainment. It also boasts one of the largest aggregate social audiences in action sports, with more than 40 million followers across its multiple brand pages and channels. Visit thrillone.com/ for additional information.