CARMEL, IN (August 3, 2022) – Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC (DRR JC) dominated the Nitro Rallycross (Nitro RX) Group E event at Strängnäs Motorstadion with a first through fourth finish. Andreas Bakkerud scored his first ever Nitro RX win with Robin Larsson and Johan Kristoffersson rounding out the podium. Dreyer & Reinbold’s entry of Fraser McConnell finished fourth and the partner entry of Ole Christian Veiby finished fifth in the JC Raceteknik car.
As Bakkerud exited his Monster Energy FC1-X he was presented the winner’s trophy and threw it in the air with excitement. He showed plenty of emotion in his post-race interview and podium ceremony.
The dream race result came after DRR JC won the previous round at Lydden Hill Race Circuit in the United Kingdom. Larsson, the winner at Lydden Hill, followed up his successful opening weekend with a second place.
“Bakkerud and I got a good start. I was pretty close to Bakkerud on lap three, but then I made some mistakes and I couldn’t catch up after that. Overall, really happy to get back and get a P2 because it could be a lot worse. It was a perfect weekend for the team as DRR JC swept the top five.”
The series heads to the United States to ERX Motor Park in Minnesota which McConnell, Bakkerud, and Larsson all have experience at from last year.
“I always look forward to going back to a track for the second time,” said McConnell. “I am able to bring up old data and old videos and have a mental set for what I want to do before I get on track rather than trying to figure it out on track. I think the FC1-X is going to do really well in Minnesota based on the track layout and the capabilities of the car.”
“Minnesota is a really nice track and it is going to be really cool to go there with the FC1-X’s,” said Larsson. “I think most people were really happy here in Sweden and going to the United States is going to be even better.”
ERX Motor Park will be McConnell’s first race season where he will not be running double duty between Group E and Supercar.
“It was amazing to race both classes and like I have been saying everything has its pros and cons. However, I would say it was more challenging than not and I am looking forward to focusing on one thing at a time (Group E).”
DRR JC drivers currently leading the championship with Larsson, Bakkerud, and McConnell holding those positions. However, the season is still very young and is not on the mind of drivers.
“The championship is not something on my mind this early into the season,” said Bakkerud. “There have only been two races and we all know how quickly things can change in racing. Right now I am focused on achieving quality results and we can re-visit a championship fight later on in the season.”
The series will have a break after the cancellation of the round in Finland. Action will resume on October 1-2 in Minnesota and continue on October 29-30 in Los Angeles, California.
About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was founded in 1999 by Indianapolis car dealer Dennis Reinbold. The legacy of the Dreyer and Reinbold family dates back to the 1920s with Reinbold’s grandfather, the legendary Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, a former factory motorcycle racer. Dreyer served as a crewman and mechanic on the famed Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoaff and Babe Stapp in the 1927 Indy 500. Dreyer went on to build Indy 500 cars in the 1930s many of which started on the front row. In addition, Dreyer constructed championship-winning sprint cars and midgets as well as quarter midgets called Dreyerettes. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing captured its first win in 2000 with driver Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, FL, and has fielded a variety of drivers including Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Al Unser Jr., Sage Karam, and J.R. Hildebrand. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified all 42 drivers for the Indy 500 in its history. DRR competed in Rallycross for the first time in 2015 and captured the 2016 Lites rallycross championship. In 2021, the team campaigned Tanner Foust and Cabot Bigham in the Supercar division of Nitro Rallycross. Additionally, the team ran a selection of lites cars that included drivers such as Sage Karam and Conner Martell. The team currently competes in the 2022 NRX rallycross series with the all-new FC1-X all-electric vehicles. Additionally, the team runs a selection of NEXT cars that includes driver Lane Vacala.
About JC Raceteknik
JC Raceteknik is a professional rallycross team based in Sweden. They have competed across the world such as Nitro Rallycross, World Rallycross, European Rallycross, and RallyX Nordic. They have won titles across different seasons including the FIA European Rallycross Drivers Championship in 2019 with Robin Larsson and FIA World Rallycross Drivers Championship in 2021 with Johan Kristoffersson.