DirtFish is delighted to welcome Benjamin Pedersen – one of American racing’s biggest and brightest stars – to Velocity Invitational this weekend.
The Dane is a long-time friend of DirtFish, having grown up in Seattle and worked with us through his formative years in the sport. He’s currently preparing for the biggest career move to date: next season’s step up from Indy Lights to the full NTT INDYCAR SERIES with AJ Foyt Racing.
But this weekend will be about reliving some boyhood memories for the 23-year-old.
A younger Benjamin would spend his time ripping up the gravel at the controls of his Richard Burns-liveried Peugeot 206 WRC radio-controlled rally car.
At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, he might well be taking the wheel of the real thing.
DirtFish owner Steve Rimmer has brought six of his world-renowned rally cars to California for Velocity Invitational. One of them is a Peugeot 206 WRC driven by the 2001 World Rally Champion.
Steve said: “While not actively competing in rally, Benjamin epitomizes all the core values of DirtFish, and we are so proud to be associated with his continued success.
We very much look forward to seeing him in on the track with us this weekend.” Indy Lights race winner this season Benjamin added: “I’m extremely excited to join DirtFish in showcasing some amazing rally cars at the Velocity Invitational event and to drive some very special WRC and Pikes Peak Hill Climb cars.
“I really look forward to trying something completely different compared to an Indy
Lights or INDYCAR and ultimately am just ecstatic to get on track and try something
as powerful as a WRC car.”
DirtFish head of strategy Josie Rimmer congratulated Benjamin on joining one of the world’s premier race series for 2023.
“We always love having Benjamin around, and are especially excited for him now that he has a very well-deserved seat in the top echelon of INDYCAR racing with AJ Foyt.
“Having him driving rally cars with us at Velocity exemplifies the wonderful crossover that exists in the motorsport world. We can’t wait for the weekend!”
And what a weekend it’s shaping up to be, with Alister and Max McRae already joining DirtFish and that stunning selection of Steve’s cars at Laguna Seca.
The action on the Monterey Peninsula (expected to be enjoyed by more than 600,000 fans on a live stream) is already underway and concludes on Sunday afternoon.
More details on Velocity invitational are available here
