Michael Andretti has revealed that Andretti Autosport’s ultra-successful rallycross operation is “on hold” following the departure of factory partner Volkswagen.
Speaking to DirtFish and other assembled media at the Extreme E season launch this week, the Andretti Autosport founder and CEO discussed his team’s involvement in US rallycross, revealing that with Volkswagen’s departure, his team’s rallycross involvement is on ice, but he would be interested in reigniting the program once Nitro Rallycross finalizes its full-season plans.
“It’s on hold at the moment,” Andretti said. “We’re closely watching what’s going on with the Nitro class with [Travis] Pastrana
“They’re looking at going all-electric I think [in] ’22-’23 so we are definitely looking at that.
“I think there will be OEMs jumping into it and I think if we can find an OEM partner we would definitely like to go back into that racing.
“We really love the rallycross racing, I think it’s just great.”
IndyCar stalwart Andretti Autosport aligned with Volkswagen ahead of the 2014 Global Rallycross season.
It went on to win 33 events across GRC, X Games, and Americas Rallycross with Scott Speed and Tanner Foust, claiming five consecutive drivers’ titles between 2015-19. Speed won the first four of those championships in GRC and ARX before leaving for Subaru ahead of the 2019 ARX season.
Ahead of the 2019 campaign, Volkswagen scaled back its involvement with the team, but the brand’s ‘R’ performance division remained a partner of Andretti as the team enjoyed something of a farewell tour with its popular Beetle Supercars.
Foust won two events from six on his way to a fourth US series crown, adding to his triumph in the discipline’s inaugural US competition in 2010, and his back-to-back GRC titles in 2011-12, while Speed’s replacement Cabot Bigham claimed a popular maiden Supercar podium in Trois-Rivières.
