Dreyer & Reinbold sign Bakerud, Larson at Nitro Rallycross

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has confirmed its first riders for next season’s Nitro Rallycross, and European champions Andreas Bakerud and Robin Larson have joined the Monster Energy RX Cartel.

DRR is driving four FX1-Xs in the premier Nitro Rallycross “Group E” category this year in partnership with leading European team JC Raceteknik, and third and fourth riders will be announced later.

The RX Cartel deal is not only the first foray into electric racing, but will be the first time Monster Energy will support efforts in EV racing.

“We are very excited to partner with such a legendary brand as Monster Energy,” said DRR team owner Dennis Reinbold. “And joining forces with champions like Andreas and Robin with the new FC1-X Group E cars should create a strong team as we fight some of the best in the world in the Nitro RX series.

“We feel that this combination with Monster Energy, the racing champions and JC Raceteknik gives us a strong organization.”

Larson joined RX Cartel for DRR and JC Raceteknik in last season’s Nitro RX Championship, finishing seventh in points with the best finish fifth. Bakerud, meanwhile, has conducted a partial campaign with Subaru and is returning to RX Cartel after participating in the 2019 and 2020 World Cups, finishing second in the first.

Although in recent years his involvement in IndyCar has been limited to partial companies centered around the Indy 500, DRR since 2015 has become an unusual occurrence in American Rallycross.

In 2016, he won the Global Rallycross Lites title along with Kabat Bigem and has since become a serial winner in the development class. Last year Sage Karam competed in the NRX NEXT series for the team (successor to GRC Lites) and won more races than any other rider (five) on the way to second place in the standings without starting in the first season due to a mechanical problem costing pit title.

In addition, in 2021, he first moved to the top level in rally-cross, driving four Audi S1s along with JC Raceteknik. In a difficult season, when Audi did not adapt well to demanding American tracks, Tanner Fust became the best finisher, finishing the year sixth in points.

The Nitro RX 2022-23 season begins on June 18-19 at Leiden Hill in the UK, followed by races in Sweden and Finland, and three races in the US in the autumn. After visiting Saudi Arabia and Canada, the series will return to the US in March next year for the season finale.