The series, the brainchild of extreme sports star Travis Pastrana, will kick off at the Utah Motorsports Campus, the venue that hosted the first two standalone NRX events in 2018 and 2019, on September 24-25.
The opener will be followed by back-to-back weekends at the Wild West Motorsports Park in Nevada (October 2-3) and ERX Motor Park in Minnesota (9-10). Rallycross will return to Pheonix and the Wildhorse Motorsports Park on November 13-14, before the season finale takes place at The FIRM (Florida International Rally & Motorsports Park) on the first weekend of December (4-5).
The series is planning “course designs, mixed surfaces and the biggest jumps in the sport,” while drivers will also take on an extreme range of conditions “from the dry desert and towering mountains of the southwest to the lush wetlands of the southeast – showcasing extraordinary backdrops at every turn,” said a statement from NRX with the schedule launch.
“It is so awesome to see the momentum building for Nitro Rallycross,” said Pastrana. “The reaction from teams has been fantastic. We’ve already confirmed more Supercar entrants than ever before in an NRX event. Building four all new, unique and crazy tracks for this year to go along with Utah Motorsports Campus is something all of us have been working toward for years. It’s going to be round after round of new challenges and excitement.”
Both of the first two NRX rounds were won by Hansen Motorsport drivers in Peugeot 208s. 2019 World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen claimed the maiden win in 2018, while his brother Kevin claimed the spoils the following year.
Each of the new rallycross circuits set to be created as permanent venues within the existing facilities, allowing the potential for testing for competitors in both classes.
“With Nitro Rallycross, we are looking to redefine what’s possible and to do it as safely as we can,” said Pastrana. “Pushing the envelope on such unique and high-flying courses requires time and practice. Now, having access to these tracks gives teams the chance to test the new jumps, learn more about the different surfaces and find new lines, ultimately giving drivers the confidence to open it up on race day.”
Nitro Rallycross is planning a 10-round calendar in 2022, including an ice race in Canada, ahead of further expansion into Europe and the Middle East. The new electric SUV category for the new FC1-X car is also set to begin next year.
Cars in the series will run on Yokohama tyres, while Subaru Motorsports USA has joined as a series sponsor, and is expected to run a number of cars this year.