“This class opens up GRC rallycross racing to a whole new world of competitors, and we’re sure that our future champions will be born in this class,” said Colin Dyne, Red Bull GRC CEO.

To prepare the Polaris RZR RS1 for GRC competition, certain modifications are required focused primarily around driver safety and making the vehicle ready for wheel-to-wheel GRC racing. All vehicles must be fitted with the Polaris GRC Competition Pack, developed in partnership with PJ’s Performance in Scottsdale, AZ headed by off-road, Indycar, IMSA and NASCAR driver PJ Jones. The Competition Pack includes a custom roll cage, racing seat, wide-track suspension, brakes and performance modifications and is available on a first-come, first served basis for $28,500. The series will open reservations on March 13th for all interested parties.

Polaris GRC will also be fully supported with trackside service provided at each round of the Polaris GRC championship featuring technical assistance and spare parts available to all competitors.

With one of the best media packages in the world of motorsports, all Polaris GRC rounds will be aired on NBC television and a soon to be announced Turner digital platform. Fans can also follow all the action and get live timing and scoring updates through the GRC app (available in the Android and Apple app stores under: GRC Series), social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram) and the series website www.redbullglobalrallycross.com.

The 2018 schedule for the Polaris GRC championship is as follows:
Rounds 1-2: Buffalo, NY (June 9-10)*
Round 3: New Orleans, LA (June 23-24)
Rounds 4-5: Los Angeles, CA (July 7-8)*
Rounds 6-7: Indianapolis, IN (August 11-12)*
Rounds 8-9: Atlantic City, NJ (August 25-26)*
Round 10: Seattle, WA (September 15-16)
Rounds 11-12: Lydden Hill, UK (October 27-28)*

About Red Bull Global Rallycross
Created to produce the most exciting action in all of motorsport, Red Bull Global Rallycross combines the best elements of stage rally, off-road and circuit racing in a fan-friendly environment. International superstars battle wheel-to-wheel over dirt, gravel, and the series’ signature 70-foot jump. For more information visit http://www.redbullglobalrallycross.com.

About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader that has been fueling the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts for more than 60 years. With annual 2017 sales of $5.4 billion, Polaris’ innovative, high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL side-by-side off-road vehicles; the Sportsman® and Polaris ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, Switchback® and RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio, including Transamerica Auto Parts. Polaris’ presence in adjacent markets globally include military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. Visit www.polaris.com for more information.

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“We had a great car all weekend, from the moment we pulled it off the hauler to the last lap of the final,” Speed said. “The team did a great job and the track was unbelievably fun. This was the first time we were at a track that was predominately some sort of gravel mix, and every time we went out on the track, it was a little different. It was the most fun driving we have had yet—I’m glad that it happened here in Indy because it’s our home race and we have so many friends and family that get to come to this one.”

It was a perfect start to the weekend for Speed, who won the pole, all three of his heats, and his semifinal coming into the main. Teammate Foust, meanwhile, overcame a rocky start to the weekend to earn the second spot on the final grid by winning the other semifinal. Both managed to avoid trouble on a smoky first lap that saw multiple drivers go wheel-to-wheel and get sideways on the oval. From there, they settled in first and second, with pressure from Steve Arpin not enough to knock Foust from second place.

In GRC Lites, Brooks coasted to an easy second victory of the season after a first-lap incident between Alex Keyes and Conner Martell backed up the rest of the field. Points leader Cyril Raymond managed to hold on to second place for Olsbergs MSE X Forces, with Travis PeCoy taking the final podium spot to put two DRR cars on the podium.

“We pushed it as hard as we could off the start, but we came out third in the first corner,” Brooks said. “I made two solid moves on the first lap, and that gave me a good gap. I just pushed as hard as I could every single lap, and I had the best lap time of the race too, so that boosted my confidence a lot. I know we have what it takes, and I know the Dreyer & Reinbold guys are stoked to have a win here in their hometown in Indianapolis.”
Full Supercar results from Red Bull Global Rallycross Indianapolis are as follows:

1. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross
2. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross
3. Steve Arpin, #00 Loenbro Motorsports
4. Oliver Eriksson, #16 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE
5. Austin Dyne, #14 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
6. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE
7. Patrik Sandell, #18 Subaru Rally Team USA
8. Chris Atkinson, #55 Subaru Rally Team USA
9. Cabot Bigham, #2 Bryan Herta Rallysport
10. Mitchell deJong, #24 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE, DNS

The Red Bull Global Rallycross season continues on August 12-13 with the series’ second annual event at Bader Field in Atlantic City. Scott Speed and Alex Keyes will look to defend their victories in Supercar and GRC Lites, respectively, during Rounds 8 and 9 of the 2017 calendar. Tickets remain available at http://www.redbullglobalrallycross.com/tickets. The action can be seen live on NBC on Saturday, August 12 at 5PM ET and Sunday, August 13 at 4:30PM ET.

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LOS ANGELES – February 08, 2017 – For the fourth consecutive year, NBC Sports will provide comprehensive Red Bull Global Rallycross coverage on NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app.

NBC and NBCSN will combine to produce more than 20 telecasts of the Red Bull GRC Supercar and GRC Lites series, and all events will be live streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming platforms for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs.

“This year’s Red Bull GRC telecast schedule on NBC and NBCSN will feature more racing action and original content than ever before, with over 24 hours of coverage between Supercar and GRC Lites action,” said Red Bull GRC CEO, Colin Dyne. “NBC Sports remains one of our most valued partners, and we look forward to working together again to deliver another great year of racing in 2017.”

“Red Bull Global Rallycross offers a unique brand of racing that viewers connect with,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “The pace of GRC races combined with the skill of these drivers makes for riveting competition every time the cars hit the track.”

Expanded heat coverage will enable fans to follow their favorite drivers from the preliminary rounds all the way to the final through in-depth storylines and additional content on NBCSN companion shows and re-airs of each event.

The 2017 Red Bull Global Rallycross television schedule is as follows:

SUPERCAR TELECAST SCHEDULE

GRC LITES TELECAST SCHEDULE

Further announcements about the 2017 Red Bull GRC season will be shared at the official series website, redbullglobalrallycross.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @GRCseries.

About Red Bull Global Rallycross
Created to produce the most exciting action in all of motorsport, Red Bull Global Rallycross combines the best elements of stage rally, off-road and circuit racing in a fan-friendly environment. International superstars battle wheel-to-wheel over dirt, gravel, and the series’ signature 70-foot jump behind the wheel of 600 horsepower Supercars. Events also include the developmental GRC Lites class and a new electric division due to begin competition in 2018. For more information visit redbullglobalrallycross.com.

About NBC Sports Group
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital, which includes NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com, GolfChannel.com, the digital assets of the NBC Sports Regional Networks, Rotoworld, the NBC Sports Talk franchise, multiple apps, and two transactional sports businesses, GolfNow and SportsEngine. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, The R&A, PGA of America, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

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Bryan Herta Rallysport driver Patrik Sandell gave his Indianapolis 500-winning team owner his second win in a week at Red Bull Global Rallycross Dallas, the series’ inaugural visit to Fair Park. Sandell became the first driver to break points leader Tanner Foust and Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross’ dominance by jumping out to the lead from the second row in the final and never looking back.

“I wouldn’t say it was easy, but they lined the cars up so I had a straight shot between the two front row cars,” Sandell said. “Mentally, I was just focusing on that spot. I never saw those two Volkswagens for 10 laps, and I’m pretty happy with that!”

While Foust continued his dominance during the race’s early stages by winning the pole, both of his heats, and his semifinal, Sandell would have to come from a third-place semifinal run. He muscled through the traffic to grab an early lead, with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Steve Arpin taking second and the Volkswagen duo of Scott Speed and Foust following in third and fourth. Foust took the Joker Lap to reclaim third, but despite going two-wide in the dirt and making bumper-to-bumper contact, he couldn’t get past Arpin for second as Sandell extended his lead to over seven seconds at race’s end.

In GRC Lites, defending series champion Oliver Eriksson became the series’ third winner in three races after he passed polesitter Tanner Whitten for the lead on the fifth lap of the main event. Rookie Cabot Bigham also got past to take his second consecutive runner-up finish and become the new Lites points leader, with Whitten holding on for third in only his first start of the year.

Red Bull Global Rallycross Dallas results are as follows:

1. Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
2. Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
3. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
4. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
5. Joni Wiman, #31 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe
6. Austin Dyne, #14 AD Racing Ford Fiesta ST
7. Brian Deegan, #38 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
8. Rhys Millen, #67 Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster
9. Jeff Ward, #07 SH Rallycross/DRR Ford Fiesta ST
10. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe

The Red Bull Global Rallycross season resumes in two weeks with a doubleheader event at Daytona International Speedway on June 18-19. Visit www.redbullglobalrallycross.com for race tickets and more information. Red Bull GRC Daytona will be shown on Sunday, June 19 at 2:30PM ET on NBC and 3:30PM ET on Red Bull TV.

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Tanner Foust extended his Red Bull Global Rallycross career win record by taking Sunday’s Red Bull GRC final in Phoenix. Foust, who also won Saturday’s main event, took the ninth victory of his Red Bull GRC career over Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross teammate Scott Speed.

“It’s going to be a great season—obviously it’s a great way to start the season for Volkswagen,” the two-time Supercar champion said from the podium. “But different cars have different skills on different tracks, so it’s going to be a mix up. A lot of the new cars out there are extremely fast, and it’s going to be a great season!”

As with Saturday, the Beetles were dominant in the preliminary rounds, with both Foust and Speed sweeping their respective heats and semifinals. Brian Deegan, coming off a third place finish in Saturday’s main event, won the last chance qualifier but only made his way up to sixth in the main event. In the final, Foust beat Speed in a drag race off the line and never looked back with a dominant performance.

New manufacturer Honda took the first podium of its foray into rallycross in only its second race, as Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE driver Sebastian Eriksson placed third. Eriksson, last year’s runner-up, held off Saturday runner-up Patrik Sandell in a thrilling battle that lasted for the entire 10-lap final.

Full results from Red Bull Global Rallycross Phoenix II are as follows:
1. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
2. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
3. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe
4. Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
5. Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
6. Brian Deegan, #38 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
7. Austin Dyne, #14 AD Racing Ford Fiesta ST
8. Jeff Ward, #07 SH Rallycross/DRR Ford Fiesta ST
9. Rhys Millen, #67 Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster
10. Joni Wiman, #31 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe
11. Sebastian Saavedra, #77 AD Racing Ford Fiesta

The Red Bull GRC season will resume in two weeks at Fair Park in Dallas, TX. Tickets are still available at www.redbullglobalrallycross.com/tickets. Red Bull GRC Dallas can be seen live on Saturday, June 4 at 2:30PM ET on your local NBC affiliate or Saturday, June 4 at 3PM ET on Red Bull TV.

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Two-time Red Bull Global Rallycross champion Tanner Foust kicked off the 2016 season with a statement victory at Red Bull GRC Phoenix, the series’ inaugural event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross (VARX) driver held off Bryan Herta Rallysport’s Patrik Sandell and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Brian Deegan for the victory.

“I like the track!” Foust said after capturing his record-setting eighth Supercar victory. “It’s a real Jekyll and Hyde kind of a track. You’ve got the road course, where you need to be real buttery smooth, and you’ve got that chaotic gravel when you are coming over the jump with tire stacks at 80 miles per hour. So there is a lot of the fun factor and technical spots!”

VARX dominated the preliminary rounds, with Foust and Scott Speed winning two heats apiece. From there, Foust won the first semifinal over the brand new Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE entry of Joni Wiman, while Speed held off Sandell to win the second semifinal. In the main event, Foust led from flag to flag, withstanding early challenges from Sandell and Speed to establish a comfortable lead. A late-race issue ended Speed’s podium hopes, dropping him from second to fifth.

New manufacturer Honda put both of its Civic Coupes in the main event, with Joni Wiman finishing second in his semifinal and Sebastian Eriksson placing second in the last chance qualifier. Wiman, now in his third year with Olsbergs MSE, earned a sixth-place result in the event.

In GRC Lites, Miki Weckstrom of Olsbergs MSE X Forces took the victory in his first-ever start in the series, holding off DirtFish Motorsports’ Conner Martell and AF Racing’s Christian Brooks, who made a last-lap pass of Alex Keyes. All three claimed their first-ever Lites podium in the event.

Red Bull Global Rallycross Phoenix (I) results are as follows:
1. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
2. Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
3. Brian Deegan, #38 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
4. Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
5. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
6. Joni Wiman, #31 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe
7. Jeff Ward, #07 SH Rallycross/DRR Ford Fiesta ST
8. Rhys Millen, #67 Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster
9. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe
10. Austin Dyne, #14 AD Racing Ford Fiesta ST
11. Sebastian Saavedra, #77 AD Racing Ford Fiesta

Red Bull Global Rallycross Phoenix competition will continue with the second round of the 2016 season for both classes on Sunday. Tickets are still available at redbullglobalrallycross.com/tickets. Watch Red Bull GRC Phoenix on the NBC Sports Network on Sunday, May 22 at 2PM ET or on Red Bull TV on Sunday, May 22 at 5:30PM ET.

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TUNE IN INFORMATION:

Sunday, September 13, 4PM ET on NBC and liveextra.nbcsports.com

NBC Sports will have a broadcast of this weekend’s Global Rallycross races from Los Angeles, California on Sunday from 4-6pm ET on NBC. Fans can see it all in spectacular high definition via NBC Sports Live Extra online at NBCSports.com/LiveExtra, or through the Live Extra app on mobile, tablet and through the Apple TV or Roku connected TV devices.

TICKETS: Click here

EVENT SPOTTER GUIDE: Click here

2015 SPECTATOR GUIDE: Click here

LAST RACE: Nelson Piquet Jr. finally took his first overall Red Bull GRC victory for SH Rallycross in Washington DC, holding off Patrik Sandell for the win a year after Sandell beat Piquet to the finish line at RFK Stadium the year before. Piquet used the victory to climb up to third in Supercar points, while Ken Block’s third place result extended his points lead.

DRIVER CHANGES: Subaru Rally Team USA enters Red Bull GRC Los Angeles with a four-car driver lineup, with Travis Pastrana and David Higgins joining regulars Sverre Isachsen and Bucky Lasek. Brian Deegan returns to Chip Ganassi Racing alongside Steve Arpin, while Brian Wong becomes the second GRC Lites graduate to move into a Supercar this year with Rhys Millen Racing.

THE TRACK: The crossover jump returns to Red Bull GRC competition for the first time since 2012, helping to extend this year’s course layout to 13 turns and .702 miles. The jump, which will be constructed with dirt, will feature a bridge element. Click here for more information on the track.

SUBARU GOES ALL-OUT FOR FANS IN LA: Subaru Rally Team USA’s four-car assault on the Red Bull GRC field will undoubtedly prove popular with fans, especially with the addition of David Higgins and Travis Pastrana to its lineup. But Subaru plans to keep fans engaged away from the track as well: a record 13 heritage vehicles from its stable, including vehicles with ties to the legendary Richard Burns and Colin McRae, will be on site this weekend.

CRUCIAL POINTS WEEKEND FOR BLOCK, RIVALS: Last year’s Los Angeles doubleheader saw a major shift in the championship landscape, with Nelson Piquet’s 40-point lead giving way to a two-way battle Ken Block and Joni Wiman in the season’s final rounds. Block enters this year’s event with a 41-point lead over Sebastian Eriksson and Piquet, hoping to extend it with two more consistent finishes.

MANUFACTURER’S TITLE ON THE LINE: Ford has the opportunity to clinch its fifth consecutive Red Bull GRC Supercar manufacturer’s championship in Los Angeles with the right combination of finishes. If Ford drivers win both of this weekend’s races, scoring all 10 possible manufacturer’s points, the title will be mathematically clinched heading into Barbados; the brand can also clinch the title outright by tallying eight or nine points and by outscoring Volkswagen, or clinch a share of the title by earning seven points.

QUOTES: A selection of quotes in advance of this weekend’s Red Bull Global Rallycross Los Angeles presented by Subaru Tecnica International:

Travis Pastrana, #199 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI: “My schedule is so busy that I don’t have a chance to race as many of the GRC races as I would like to, and having a double header gives me more time to get up to speed and put in my best result. I have a lot of family and friends that live close to the area and this year is specifically important because STI and Subaru are presenting! Subaru had our most productive test that I’ve ever been a part of last month and I’m really excited to see how the new direction will help us in LA.”

David Higgins, #75 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI: “I can’t wait to race, it’s going to be great with all four Subaru team cars there. Having a double header is great for me as it gives me plenty of side by side race action. It’s very important for the team and myself to pull a result off, the team works so hard. I am confident with my team and my ability and can guarantee one thing: there will be no stone unturned in my quest to go home with more than I came with.”

Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST: “The course looks very narrow, twisted, technical, and with kind of a lot of dirt. So it looks like they’ve kind of put together a dream track for me. It looks like a track that will fit me, and I feel like I’ll be able to go out there, get very comfortable, and be able to do well straight away. I’m really looking forward to getting out there on this track.”

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In his 21st career Red Bull Global Rallycross start, Nelson Piquet Jr. finally topped the Supercar podium for the first time in Red Bull GRC Washington DC presented by Volkswagen. Piquet held off defending Washington DC race winner Patrik Sandell and points leader Ken Block to take the victory.

“This is thanks to the team,” said Piquet Jr. “They’ve been making the car quicker and quicker every race, and we’re just getting more and more competitive They deserve a win, and hopefully this is just the first one for the future—we’re going to have a long time together.”

Jeff Ward and Nelson Piquet Jr. won Friday’s first round heats, while Piquet (with an incredible last-lap pass) and Joni Wiman won the second-round heats. Piquet earned a victory in his semifinal to grab the inside starting spot for the main event, while Patrik Sandell won the other semifinal to start alongside him. Scott Speed, who posted the fastest time in Friday’s qualifying, won the last chance qualifier.

Ten cars charged into the first corner in hte Main Event at RFK Stadium, with Piquet jumping out in front and establishing himself as the leader. The first half of the eight-lap final was dominated by a three-way battle for third, with Ken Block, Tanner Foust, and Steve Arpin all jostling for the final podium position.

After chasing down Piquet for the entire event, Sandell made contact from behind, pushing in Piquet’s left rear fender and leading to a tire rub. Undeterred, Piquet held on to the top spot for the final lap to take his first victory in a Supercar main event.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: The results from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross Washington DC presented by Volkswagen, the seventh round of the 2015 Red Bull GRC season:
1. Nelson Piquet Jr., #07 SH Racing Rallycross Ford Fiesta ST
2. Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
3. Ken Block, #43 Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST
4. Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
5. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
6. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST
7. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
8. Austin Dyne, #14 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
9. Jeff Ward, #360 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
10. Joni Wiman, #31 Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST
11. Logan Gomez, #77 Royal Purple Racing Ford Fiesta
12. Pat Moro, #59 PMR Motorsports Chevrolet Sonic

GRC Lites: Washington DC presented by Volkswagen

Alex Keyes rebounded from a disappointing home race weekend in Detroit to win his second GRC Lites race of the season in Washington DC. As he did at MCAS New River during his first win, he held off a hard-charging Oliver Eriksson of Olsbergs MSE for the victory; Keyes’ Dreyer & Reinbold Racing teammate Miles Maroney placed third to grab the Supercar points lead.

Oliver Eriksson and Alex Keyes qualified first and second on Friday, establishing lane choice in the first round of heats that they would never relinquish. Both drivers won both of their heats to earn front-row starting spots for the main event. All 10 competitors advanced directly to the main event based on their second round heat finishing position.

In the charge to the first corner, Keyes held pace with Eriksson through the first left-hand turn, established positioning on outside front row starter Austin Cindric in the next right-hand corner, and managed to pull ahead of Eriksson from there. That was all Keyes needed, as he gradually extended his lead over the pair of Olsbergs MSE drivers.
As the eight-lap final claimed championship competitors one by one, with Collete Davis pulling off track with mechanical trouble and Tanner Whitten and incoming points leader Cindric both suffering damage, Miles Maroney slotted into third and Alejandro Fernandez moved up to fourth. Neither driver could catch the top two runners, but both earned valuable championship points.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: The results from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross Washington DC presented by Volkswagen, the seventh round of the 2015 GRC Lites season:
1. Alex Keyes, #61 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2. Oliver Eriksson, #16 Olsbergs MSE
3. Miles Maroney, #24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
4. Alejandro Fernandez, #126 AF Racing
5. Joachim Hvaal, #99 Olsbergs MSE
6. Blas Zapag, #69 Rhys Millen Racing
7. Nur Ali, #42 AF Racing
8. Austin Cindric, #77 Olsbergs MSE
9. Tanner Whitten, #15 DirtFish Motorsports
10. Collete Davis, #07 River Racing

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IN BRIEF: The second half of the 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross season commences with a return to Washington DC, marking the series’ second-ever visit to the nation’s capital. Patrik Sandell, winner of the previous Red Bull GRC round in Detroit, also enters this weekend’s event as defending champion.

TUNE IN INFORMATION:

Saturday, August 15, 3PM ET on NBC and liveextra.nbcsports.com

NBC Sports Group will be offering live streaming of the Global Rallycross Washington DC race through the NBC Sports Live Extra app via desktop, mobile and tablet.

TICKETS: Click here

EVENT SPOTTER GUIDE: Click here

2015 SPECTATOR GUIDE: Click here

LAST RACE: Ken Block and Patrik Sandell split last month’s doubleheader round in Detroit, though Sandell could have easily swept both races if not for a driveshaft failure in the Saturday final. Scott Speed and Sebastian Eriksson finished second and third, respectively, in both of the Detroit main events.

DRIVER CHANGES: This weekend’s 12-driver field will be significantly different from Detroit’s doubleheader round. Nine of that event’s drivers will return, with Jeff Ward replacing Brian Deegan at Chip Ganassi Racing, Pat Moro making his first points-paying start of the season with his own Chevrolet Sonic, and Logan Gomez joining Royal Purple Racing.

THE TRACK: At .980 miles and with nine turns, the new RFK Stadium layout is significantly larger, faster, and wider than last year’s course and one of the longest in Red Bull GRC history. The dirt jump also returns after being utilized in at three of this season’s events. Click here for more information on the track.

HOME EVENT FOR VOLKSWAGEN: Event presenting sponsor Volkswagen’s American headquarters are located in Herndon, Virginia, just minutes away from this weekend’s event site in Washington DC. At this event last year, the manufacturer unveiled the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle that Tanner Foust and Scott Speed have campaigned in the 2015 Red Bull GRC season, taking victories at X Games Austin and Daytona International Speedway.

SANDELL BREAKS STREAK OF BAD LUCK: Defending Washington DC race winner Patrik Sandell posted fast laps throughout the first half of the Red Bull GRC season, but an unlucky cocktail of incidents, red flags, and mechanical failures prevented him from taking a victory until the second race in Detroit. A first-lap red flag that came after Sandell took contact from behind from Ken Block reset the field, and Sandell took advantage of the restart to take a lead he would never relinquish.

SEASON DEBUTS FOR MORO, GOMEZ: Pat Moro will make his first Red Bull GRC championship race start since last year’s season finale in Las Vegas, and his second appearance of the year after the X Games invitational, this weekend with the PMR Motorsports Chevrolet Sonic. Meanwhile, former Indy Lights driver Logan Gomez will trade in his headset as Austin Dyne’s spotter for the Royal Purple Racing Ford Fiesta, making his Supercar debut.

QUOTES: A selection of quotes in advance of this weekend’s Red Bull Global Rallycross Washington DC presented by Volkswagen:

Jeff Ward, #360 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST: “There are about three pretty hard braking areas. I like braking hard, and there’s two or three sections here that are set up for that. It’s like a road course—the dirt’s all straight unless they put dirt in that corner, but it’s basically a road course. So there’s a lot of hard braking, you just have to nail the apex right and get the car to get enough grip off the corners. It’s going to be hard to pass.”

Logan Gomez, #77 Royal Purple Racing Ford Fiesta ST: “Since this will be my first time driving a Supercar, I just want to focus on making the final. With only a few short practice sessions to get a feel for the car, it will be important to get up to speed quickly. Anything can happen in these races as I have witnessed while spotting for Austin Dyne this year. He’s done a great job being consistent and is third in points after making every final. Hopefully we can have a good race here in DC and bring the car home in the top five. Of course, this is rallycross and anything can happen!”

Pat Moro, #59 PMR Motorsports Chevrolet Sonic: “Usually when there are bigger tracks they’re faster tracks, and right now we know we’re not on the same power level as the other guys. But we think the car actually corners better than some of the other cars. This track is probably going to hurt us, but then again you have to go out and you have to get a measurement. We have to use this as a gauge to see when we go back what changes that we can make with limited funds that we have, where the best area to put the remaining money that we have is.”

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Ken Block backed up his season-ending win in Las Vegas last year with a victory to kick off the 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross season, taking top honors in the season-opening race at the Bahia Mar Resort in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Block held off strong charges from Formula 1 veterans Scott Speed and Nelson Piquet Jr., who completed the podium.

“Racing these two really talented tarmac drivers was really tough!” Block said after the race. “They really pushed me and our team all weekend, and it was a lot of fun. It came down to starts, and I got lucky—I got quick on the starts, was able to put some good times in, and came out with the win. It’s a great way to start the year!”

Block, who finished third in his first heat after an aggressive overtake attempt on Speed put him into the tire barriers, took second place in the second round and converted the front row starting spot into a victory in his semifinal. In the main event, Block used the Kobalt Tools Joker Lap immediately to grab the lead, then extended his gap over the field to take his fourth career Supercar victory.

In GRC Lites, Austin Cindric took a commanding victory in his first race for Olsbergs MSE, winning every on-track session he competed in. The American driver defeated Colombian Alejandro Fernandez and Swede Oliver Eriksson for the crown, heading home with the maximum 56 possible points.

Unofficial results from Red Bull Global Rallycross Fort Lauderdale are as follows:

1. Ken Block, #43 Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST
2. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
3. Nelson Piquet Jr., #07 SH Racing Rallycross Ford Fiesta ST
4. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST
5. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
6. Austin Dyne, #14 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
7. Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
8. Victor Gonzalez Jr., #99 Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster
9. Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI
10. Bucky Lasek, #81 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI
11. Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
12. Joni Wiman, #31 Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST

Red Bull Global Rallycross heads to the Circuit of the Americas next for X Games Austin, a non-points, invitational round on the 2015 schedule. The next points-paying event for Red Bull GRC is a doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway on June 19-21. Tickets are available for 2015 Red Bull GRC events at http://www.redbullglobalrallycross.com/tickets.

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