Conner Martell will make his rallycross return at this weekend’s Nitro Rallycross event in Phoenix, Arizona.
The American will drive for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the NRX Next category, returning to the team where he enjoyed a successful partial campaign during 2019.
Martell is no stranger to US rallycross’ premier development class, competing in both Global Rallycross Lites and ARX2 – effectively different iterations of the same category – in the past.
In 37 starts between 2015-19 across GRC Lites and ARX2, Martell has 10 event wins and took the 2018 ARX2 title with DirtFish’s RX Lites program.
He also contested the World Rallycross-supporting RX2 series in 2018, finishing ninth with a best finish of second at Silverstone. He raced in two rounds of its replacement, RX2e, this year as well, finishing fifth in France and ninth in Belgium.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join DRR again for the next Nitro RX races after our strong performance in 2019 in the ARX Lites car and building a strong bond with everyone on the team,” Martell told DirtFish.
“This race will really set the tone for not only the next three races, but also going into 2022, so I know there is one goal, get on the top step of podium, and we are with a team that knows how we can accomplish that goal and we’ve proven able to do that together in years past.”
While Martell is a returning name to the US rallycross fold, the Supercar class of Nitro Rallycross will welcome two new drivers to its ranks this weekend.
As well as Kyle Busch racing an independently entered WRX STI, Latvian Rallycross regular Ronalds Baldiņš will make his debut in the series.
Baldiņš, who has competed in Supercars, CrossKarts, and motocross in Latvia and central Europe this year, was set to race in the Sierra Cars races in Utah earlier in the season but was denied entry into the US despite having all the necessary visas and paperwork to travel.
