Nitro Rallycross calendar updated for inaugural season

The closed Wild West Motorsports Park has been replaced by Glen Helen Raceway

Travis Pastrana

The inaugural Nitro Rallycross calendar has been updated for the first full season of thse series, including two changes from the schedule that was first issued in March.

As previously, the season will get underway at NRX’s spiritual home at the Utah Motorsports Campus near Salt Lake City on September 24-25, with the Minneapolis event at ERX Motor Park now moving to the second slot on the schedule on October 2-3.

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix, Arizona remains on course to host the series on November 13 -14, while a newly-announced round at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernadino, California will take place on November 20/21.

It will fill the void left by Wild West Motorsports Park, which was previously slated to host round two. The Reno, Nevada venue’s scratching from the championship comes after it announced in April that it would be closing with immediate effect.

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Photo: Volkswagen of America

Glen Helen Raceway is well-known in the off-road racing community as a mainstay on the off-road truck, motocross, UTV and quad racing calendars, and it will also mark the first professional rallycross event in the state of California since the last-ever Global Rallycross round in Los Angeles back in 2017 (pictured above).

The calendar reshuffle means that there will no longer be three back-to-back events as was originally the case, but rather a brace of double-headers separated by just over a month. There are also no longer any clashes with World Rallycross which opens the door for teams to potentially fully compete simultaneously in both series.

The NRX season will conclude at The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsports Park) near Jacksonville in Florida on December 4/5.

“It’s awesome to see NRX’s first championship series come together,” said NRX pioneer Travis Pastrana. “Glen Helen Raceway is a great addition to the calendar. Such an iconic venue.

“I raced my first outdoor national motocross event there when I was 16 years old and been there for so many other amazing events. It’s a perfect fit for NRX’s multi-surface courses.

“Southern California also has a rich rallycross history and passionate fans, who over the years has seen fantastic finishes from the sport’s biggest drivers.”

As well as the schedule changes, it’s also been announced that tickets for all events will go on sale on July 20. It comes as sporting and entertainment events all across America start to welcome back spectators as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease.

“We’re so excited to both add Glen Helen Raceway to the NRX 2021 calendar and to be able to open up the series to fans,” said Joe Carr, CEO of NRX’s parent company Thrill One Sports & Entertainment.

“We are eager to drop NRX into gear and for fans to be able to catch all the action in person.”

Updated 2021 Nitro Rallycross calendar:

Sept 24/25 Utah Motorsports Campus – Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 2/3 ERX Motor Park – Minneapolis, MN
Nov 13/14 Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park – Phoenix, AZ
Nov 20/21 Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernadino, CA
Dec 4/5 The FIRM – Jacksonville, FL

Words:Dominik Wilde

Photos:Red Bull Content Pool, Volkswagen of America

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