Dodge has announced its debut in the 2024-2025 Nitrocross Series with the introduction of four Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X electric-powered race cars in the Group E class. The season kicked off Sept. 7-8 at Richmond (Virginia) Raceway.
The Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X car, a 1,000-plus-horsepower all-wheel-drive race car, will be fielded by the Nitrocross Group E championship-winning Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR) team, with four vehicles entered during the 10-race national tour.
“Nearly 75% of Nitrocross race fans are between the ages of 18-34, making the series the perfect venue for Dodge to expand its motorsports presence and to showcase the Dodge Hornet to an enthusiastic new audience,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge brand CEO – Stellantis. “We’re looking forward to a great inaugural Nitrocross season for the Dodge brand, with a championship-winning organization like the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team carrying the Dodge banner. It all starts at Richmond.”
Seventeen-year-old Lia Block (U.S.) will race in the flagship Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X car, with two-time Group E series champion Robin Larsson (Sweden), Fraser McConnell (Jamaica) and Andres Bakkerud (Norway) also part of the talented group of DRR Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X drivers.
Block has already made history as the youngest American Rally Association champion and has previously raced in the Nitrocross NEXT class. She is also the youngest competitor ever in the Group E class and the first and only woman in the class. Larsson, 32, is a former FIA European Rallycross Champion (2014) and captured the last two Nitrocross Group E titles for DRR with seven victories in the past two campaigns, while McConnell, 25, is the 2019 ARX2 Rallycross series champion and has won four Nitrocross Group E races in the last two years. Bakkerud, 32, has placed second and fourth in the Group E division with two wins.
The Nitrocross Series, spectacular jumps and wild drifts. Nitrocross cars battle inches apart in a program with practice rounds, qualifying, heat races and main events in five separate categories, led by the leading Group E class.
“Nitrocross is thrilled to welcome Dodge to the series as our first official manufacturer entry,” said Chip Pankow, Nitrocross general manager.
Called “controlled chaos” by its fans, the Nitrocross Series is contested on both pavement and dirt surfaces in the 10-round series, which will commence in Virginia. Following events include:
- Utah Motorsports Campus in Salt Lake City – Oct. 5-6
- Firebird Motorsports Park near Phoenix – Nov. 15-16
- Miami Marine Stadium – Jan. 11-12
- Las Vegas course – March 1-2
The Nitrocross series will be televised all season on the FOX network.
The four Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X are powered by axial flux motors, generating the equivalent of 1,070 horsepower, with the capability of accelerating from 0-60 in just 1.4 seconds and producing nearly 2G of acceleration from a standing start — more than enough to propel vehicles across the 200-foot gap jumps that are common on Nitrocross courses. The Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X features a tubular chassis, carbon-fiber chassis tub, Alcon braking system, electric power-assisted steering, front and rear double wishbone R53 suspension with adjustable camber/caster with 12-inch wheel travel and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars.
The Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X Group E machines are developed and maintained by the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing organization, a longtime IndyCar team and current championship-winning Group E Nitrocross operation based in Carmel, Indiana. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified 48 drivers for the Indy 500.
“To carry the Dodge brand’s banner and compete in Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X cars is the perfect fit for our group,” said team owner Dennis Reinbold. “It’s such a great alignment for us to compete in Nitrocross as it continues to grow at a record-breaking pace. Fans have to come out and see the power of these cars battling as they literally fly around the track.”
The Dodge FC1-X team had a successful showing at Virginia Raceway. Larsson took home first in the division, with McConnell third and Block sixth. Bakkerud completed five of the six laps, coming in seventh place.
