Nitrocross

{{Short description|Rallycross series}} {{Infobox motorsport championship | name = Nitrocross | logo = Nitrocross Logo.png | category = Rallycross | country = International | headquarters = | inaugural = 2021 | folded = 2024 | classes = Group E<br>NEXT<br>SxS | manufacturers =OMSE<br>Can-Am<br>Volkswagen | engines = | tires =Yokohama | champion driver = {{flagicon|SWE}} Robin Larsson | champion team = Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC | website = {{URL|https://www.nitrocrossracing.com/}} | current_season = }}

'''Nitrocross''' was an American rallycross racing series. Created by rallycross driver Travis Pastrana and the ''Nitro Circus'' production in 2018, it became a full series in 2021 and folded in 2024. The championship is sanctioned by the United States Auto Club.

==History== From 2018 to 2019, rallycross was a sport in the Nitro World Games at Utah Motorsports Campus. In late 2020, it expanded into its own series with plans of running the inaugural season in 2021 and debuting an electric class in 2022.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vijayenthiran|first=Viknesh|url=https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1130552_travis-pastrana-launching-an-electric-rallycross-series-in-2022|title=Travis Pastrana launching an electric rallycross series in 2022|publisher=Motor Authority|date=December 7, 2020|access-date=March 28, 2021}}</ref>

Although American rallycross leagues like the Global Rallycross Championship and Americas Rallycross Championship had failed, Nitrocross founder Pastrana envisioned the series as an inexpensive discipline that did not need to rely on heavy manufacturer support.<ref name="Pastrana's plan">{{cite news|last=Wilde|first=Dominik|url=https://dirtfish.com/rallycross/nitro-rx/travis-pastrana-nitro-rx-plans-revealed/|title=Pastrana's plan for a full Nitro Rallycross championship|publisher=DirtFish|date=May 12, 2020|access-date=March 28, 2021}}</ref>

Nitrocross cars raced with exclusively internal combustion engines in 2021 while the electric Group E class was introduced in 2022.<ref name="Nitro Rallycross expands" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Wilde|first=Dominik|url=https://dirtfish.com/rallycross/nitro-rx/revealed-first-details-of-2021-nitro-rallycross-series/|title=Revealed: first details of 2021 Nitro Rallycross series|publisher=DirtFish|date=October 30, 2020|access-date=March 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name="2022-23 schedule" /> Group E's electric vehicles are built using a battery-powered SUV platform called the FC1-X, which is developed by First Corner – a joint venture between QEV Technologies and Olsbergs MSE, the project received manufacturer support such as Ford, Subaru, and Volkswagen. The FC1-X began testing in February 2021 and made its racing debut at the 2022 Race of Champions.<ref name="Nitro Rallycross expands">{{cite magazine|last=Glendenning|first=Mark|url=https://racer.com/2020/12/02/nitro-rallycross-expands-into-full-championship-adds-electric-class/|title=Nitro Rallycross expands into full championship; adds electric class|magazine=Racer|date=December 2, 2020|access-date=March 28, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.raceofchampions.com/post/fc1-x-electric-rallycross-suv-to-make-competition-debut-at-2022-race-of-champions|title=FC1-X Electric Rallycross SUV, to make competition debut at 2022 Race Of Champions.|work=Race of Champions|date=November 15, 2021|access-date=December 6, 2021}}</ref>

Ahead of the 2023–24 season, the series was renamed from Nitro Rallycross to Nitrocross to reflect its deviation from the traditional rallycross format.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wilde|first=Dominik|url=https://racer.com/2023/05/15/nitrocross-needs-a-separate-identity-from-rallycross-clarke/|title=Nitrocross needs a separate identity from Rallycross - Clarke|magazine=Racer|date=May 15, 2023|access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref>

The series was discontinued in October 2024, after two rounds of the 2024–25 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://racer.com/2024/10/16/nitrocross-halts-current-season |title=Nitrocross halts current season |author=Dominik Wilde |website=Racer |date=October 16, 2024}}</ref> The FC1-X cars were eventually acquired by the upstart RallyX Americas.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wilde|first=Dominik|url=https://racer.com/2025/12/11/rallyx-americas-relaunches-rallycross-in-north-america|title=RallyX Americas relaunches rallycross in North America|magazine=Racer|date=December 11, 2025|access-date=March 22, 2026}}</ref>

==Tracks== Nitrocross tracks were purpose built, with mixed surfaces and jumps.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://racer.com/2021/03/11/nitro-rallycross-unveils-inaugural-calendar-broadcast-schedule/|title=Nitro Rallycross unveils inaugural calendar; broadcast schedule|magazine=Racer|date=March 11, 2021|access-date=March 28, 2021}}</ref> Speaking with ''DirtFish'' in March 2020, Pastrana stressed the construction of such courses with an emphasis on dirt, high-banked corners, and large jumps, comparing his plans to motocross courses as "every track was unique." As part of the series' development, Pastrana built a test circuit near his house.<ref name="Pastrana's plan" /> The series also raced on short course dirt tracks used previously in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series such as Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Arizona.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-11|title=First Nitro Rallycross series schedule revealed|url=https://dirtfish.com/rallycross/nitro-rx/first-nitro-rallycross-series-schedule-revealed/|access-date=2021-10-28|website=DirtFish|language=en-US}}</ref>

For the second season in 2022–23, the series expanded to include races in Canada, Sweden, and Lydden Hill Race Circuit in England.<ref name="2022-23 schedule">{{cite magazine|url=https://racer.com/2022/03/29/nitro-rallycross-announces-first-global-series/|title=Nitro Rallycross announces first global series|magazine=Racer|date=March 29, 2022|access-date=March 29, 2022}}</ref>

==Race format== Race weekends featured the main Supercar class, the NEXT developmental division, and the electric Group E class.<ref name="2022-23 schedule" /> While the Supercars had one race per weekend, NEXT ran two.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilde|first=Dominik|url=https://dirtfish.com/rallycross/nitro-rx/how-nitro-rx-is-tweaking-its-format-for-round-two/|title=How Nitro RX is tweaking its format for round two|work=DirtFish|date=October 1, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> Each weekend was split into two days, with the first consisting of qualifying, while races took place on the second.<ref name="All you need to know">{{cite news|last=Wilde|first=Dominik|url=https://dirtfish.com/rallycross/nitro-rx/all-you-need-to-know-about-nitro-rallycrosss-debut-season/|title=All you need to know about Nitro Rallycross's debut season|publisher=DirtFish|date=September 22, 2012|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref>

After single-lap qualifying is conducted, drivers were paired up into a bracket tournament called battles, with the winner of each battle receiving a point in the championship. The winner of the bracket was rewarded with pole position for the next day's races.<ref name="All you need to know" />

The second day featured a series of qualifying races to reach the final, with the top two in each race advancing. The first pair of heat races had eight cars and last five laps apiece, and those remaining were placed into two semi-final races. Drivers who failed to qualify for the final via the heats and semi-finals entered a Last Chance Qualifier.<ref name="All you need to know" /> The final consisted of ten cars and points were allocated in five-point intervals beginning with 50 for the winner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nitrorallycross.com/about|title=About|work=Nitro Rallycross|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref>

{| | {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%; text-align:center" |- |- ! style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1st ! style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2nd ! style="background:#FFDF9F;"|3rd ! style="background:#DFFFDF;"|4th ! style="background:#DFFFDF;"|5th ! style="background:#DFFFDF;"|6th ! style="background:#DFFFDF;"|7th ! style="background:#DFFFDF;"|8th ! style="background:#CFCFFF;"|9th ! style="background:#CFCFFF;"|10th |- | style="background:#FFFFBF;"|50 | style="background:#DFDFDF;"|45 | style="background:#FFDF9F;"|40 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"|35 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"|30 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"|25 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"|20 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"|15 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"|10 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"|5 |} | style="vertical-align:top;" | {| style="margin-right:0; font-size:85%; text-align:center;" class="wikitable" |- ! colspan=2| {{center|Bonuses}} |- ! Battle winner | 1 |} |}

==Champions== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Driver ! Team ! Car |- ! colspan=4| Nitro World Games |- ! 2018 | {{flagathlete|Timmy Hansen|SWE}} | Team Peugeot-Hansen | Peugeot 208 T16 |- ! 2019 | {{flagathlete|Kevin Hansen|SWE}} | Team Peugeot-Hansen | Peugeot 208 T16 |- ! 2020 | colspan=3 align=center| ''Canceled'' |- ! colspan=4| Nitro Rallycross Championship |- ! 2021 | {{flagathlete|Travis Pastrana|USA}} | Subaru Motorsports USA | Subaru WRX STi |- ! 2022–23 | {{flagathlete|Robin Larsson|SWE}} | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC | FC1-X |- ! colspan=4| Nitrocross Championship |- ! 2023–24 | {{flagathlete|Robin Larsson|SWE}} | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC | FC1-X |- ! 2024–25 | colspan=3 align=center| ''Canceled'' |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official|1=https://www.nitrocrossracing.com/}}

Category:Rallycross racing series Category:2021 establishments in the United States Category:2024 disestablishments in the United States Category:Auto racing series in the United States Category:United States Auto Club