Ten Rounds of Adrenaline-Charged, High-Impact Racing
Kicking Off June 16-17
Tickets to Season Launch at Visions Off-Road 2023 On-Sale Now;
Salt Lake City, Phoenix & SoCal Stops Available Starting Tuesday, May 23
Streamed Live & Free Worldwide on Rumble
(Los Angeles, CA / Monday, May 15, 2023) After a drumbeat of social media rumors, today Nitro Rallycross - the disruptive motorsports property created by Travis Pastrana and Nitro Circus – has officially become Nitrocross. The change reflects the dynamic property’s evolution, having grown beyond its rallycross roots into a unique discipline unlike anything else in motorsport. Along with announcing the new name and debuting a sleek, refreshed logo, the 2023-24 season calendar was also revealed.
Pastrana explained: “I love rallycross, with its action-packed sprint racing and door-to-door action. That core hasn’t changed. But we can’t be relegated to the rules historically in place for rallycross.” He added, “The Nitro Circus full-send mentality is also a big part of our DNA. We wanted to make sure that attitude came through loud and clear.”
Nitrocross 2023-24 will encompass 10 rounds, spanning nine months set in six locations. The campaign gets underway at Visions Off-Road 2023, coming to MidAmerica Outdoors in Jay, Oklahoma on June 16-17. Subsequent announced stops will range from the desert Southwest to the frigid Canadian Rockies, all with surfaces varying from dirt and tarmac through snow and ice.
Once again, an elite lineup of motorsports stars, decorated multi-discipline drivers and rising new talent will battle on motorsport’s wildest tracks for the Ken Block Championship Trophy. Last season featured NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott (USA), 2022 Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Rookie of the Year Austin Cindric (USA), F1 champion Jenson Button (GBR), European rallycross winners Andreas Bakkerud (NOR) and Robin Larsson (SWE), recent Extreme E Scotland winner Fraser McConnell (JAM) and many more.
They strapped into the all-electric FC1-X to compete in the property’s marquee top class, Group E. The FC1-X is a revolutionary monster capable of producing the equivalent of 1,070 peak horsepower (800 kW) and accelerating from 0-60 mph in just 1.4 seconds - faster off the line than an F1 car.
Pastrana summed up the vision behind Nitrocross: “We are looking for nothing less than to raise the bar of our events. We need custom-built tracks and better entertainment at the venues. We want Nitrocross to be exciting for the competitors and for fans around the world. We are going to have the highest-flying series on earth, and I can’t wait to see what happens.”
For a taste of the full-throttle action that Nitrocross will throw down, go here.
Nitrocross 2023-24:
Making its debut at the Nitrocross 2023-24 season kickoff, the new track at MidAmerica Outdoors will be transformational. Purpose-built to Pastrana’s design for maximum racing excitement, the course specifications are truly off the charts. Featuring 150-feet of overall elevation change, steep S-turns designed to accommodate two lines, a tight hairpin turn and a huge 120-foot gap jump – all capped off by triple jump madness - this massive rollercoaster takes Pastrana’s game-changing vision for motorsports to new heights.
Next up, Nitrocross will return to where the property began as a one-off event five years ago: Utah Motorsports Campus outside Salt Lake City. Now primed for a double-header on August 18-19, UMC will once again feature Nitrocross’ signature over-under jump, topped by a daunting gap stretching over 100 feet.
Rounding out 2023, Nitrocross will also revisit Phoenix’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (November 10-11) and Southern California’s iconic Glen Helen Raceway (December 9-10) for double-headers. With their banked corners and sand berms, these venues hosted some of the thrilling moments from 2022-23 in front of the some of the season’s most passionate crowds. Attendance in both markets also surged by more than 30% from Nitro’s 2021 inaugural series. Riding that wave of momentum, Nitrocross is set to run it back this season.
As the calendar turns to 2024, temperatures may dip, but the heat of competition will not diminish. On February 2-3, Nitrocross returns to Calgary’s legendary Stampede Park following a tremendous debut three months ago in front of over 20,000 fans. For the 2024 follow-up, expect a very frosty battle against both the elements and a treacherously slick ice track.
The battle for the 2023-24 series crown will then culminate with the season finale, coming to a to-be-announced venue in late February/early March 2024 (specific dates to follow soon). Last season, six different drivers topped the podium and the fight for the series championship went down to the wire. Pastrana, Bakkerud and series leader Larsson each took the checkered flag during the triple-header finale, with Larsson needing the last race on the last day to at last secure the season title.
Festival Event:
Beyond the electrifying action of Group E, Nitrocross will feature a full weekend of wide-open racing thrills. Racing enthusiasts can also see the younger generation of drivers step up to the big stage in NEXT, Nitrocross’ developmental class. Look out for the return of rough-and-ready Side-By-Sides as well, along with even more four-wheel action at each Nitrocross stop.
Immersive Live Experiences:
With its unique open paddock layout, Nitrocross will once again offer fans an engaging atmosphere where they can get an up-close look at their favorite drivers, cars and teams. Attendees can also enjoy the Nitrocross fan experience, which includes an entertainment stage featuring music, plus a gaming zone, a concession area with local food trucks and more.
Fans looking for an elevated event experience can enjoy special amenities with Club Nitro VIP. Highlighted by a private trackside viewing location and exclusive Club Nitro area, this premium package gets fans even closer to Nitrocross.
Be there live! Tickets for the Nitrocross 2023-24 season kickoff at Visions Off-Road 2023 are available now at visionsoffroad.com.
Tickets for Nitrocross’ just-announced Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Southern California stops go on sale next Tuesday, May 23 at 10am local time.
Register now at nitrocrossracing.com to get the latest updates on advance pre-sale opportunities, public on-sale information and more.
Global Broadcast:
For fans unable to get out to the track, Nitrocross marks the next phase of the broadcast partnership between Thrill One Sports and Entertainment and Rumble, the leading platform for live-streaming action sports. Adrenaline-loving motorsport enthusiasts around the world will now be able to watch every moment of exciting Nitrocross action -- all live and all for free.
In addition to the global livestream on Rumble, post-event highlights programming will air in more than 160 countries worldwide on a variety of linear channels. More tune-in details will be announced soon.
Season partners for Nitrocross 2023-24 include Yokohama, O’Reilly Auto Parts and myenergi.
A Nitrocross press materials suite, complete with PR photos, videos, 2023-24 calendar graphics and the series logo, is available here.
ABOUT NITROCROSS
Originally launched in 2018 by global icon Travis Pastrana and the limit-pushers of Nitro Circus as Nitro Rallycross, this disruptive motorsport property – home of cars that fly and tracks that thrill - is now Nitrocross.
Fusing intuitive short-form competition with the adrenaline rush of action sports, Nitrocross has revolutionized racing. Featuring innovative purpose-built courses packed with huge jumps and banked turns, Nitrocross creates intense pulse-pounding action. Each event is part of a full standalone series headlined by Group E and the groundbreaking FC1-X, the most explosive electric race car ever built. At every round, the world’s best drivers are put to the test in a variety of environments as they battle for the prized Ken Block Championship Trophy. Each stop also showcases additional motorsport disciplines along with fun live entertainment to offer fans a full festival experience.
Off the track, Nitrocross creates engaging original content, going inside the cockpit and behind the scenes to showcase the strong personalities and compelling stories on the road to the championship.
For more information, visit: nitrocrossracing.com