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The second race of the 2012 Global Rallycross season took place at Texas Motor Speedway, featuring a healthy field of 18 cars and the debut of the series’ 70-foot gap jump. A hungry group of big-name drivers that included Ken Block, Brian Deegan, and Sverre Isachsen looked to make up for disappointing results in Charlotte by making it to their first main event of the season.

For the second race in a row, two-time World Rally champion Marcus Gronholm and defending GRC champion Tanner Foust were the drivers to beat, qualifying first and second in their OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiestas. They would again breeze through their heat races, each scoring a victory to advance, while Deegan and Samuel Hubinette earned the other two heat wins.

The last chance qualifier was split into two groups, with Block and Stephan Verdier earning the two transfer spots into the main event. Verdier’s LCQ was highlighted by a spectacular incident where Bucky Lasek drove off the side of the gap jump and rode a barrier before coming to rest in the infield. Other big names to miss the final included Dave Mirra, Liam Doran, and Travis Pastrana.

Two incidents, one including Isachsen and the other including Andy Scott, would force two restarts in the final. In the third attempt, Gronholm led Hubinette for most of the event, until a mechanical failure ended Hubinette’s pursuit and handed the other two places on the podium to Foust and Deegan. This marked the only podium of the entire season to be swept by one team (OMSE) or one manufacturer (Ford).

Final results:

1. Marcus Gronholm, #3 Ford Fiesta, OlsbergsMSE
2. Tanner Foust, #34 Ford Fiesta, OlsbergsMSE
3. Brian Deegan, #38 Ford Fiesta, OlsbergsMSE
4. Rhys Millen, #67 Hyundai Veloster, Rhys Millen Racing
5. David Binks, #17 Ford Fiesta, OlsbergsMSE
6. Stephan Verdier, #12 Hyundai Veloster, Rhys Millen Racing
7. Samuel Hubinette, #77 Saab 9-3, Scott-Eklund Racing
8. Ken Block, #43 Ford Fiesta, Monster World Rally Team
9. Andy Scott, #26 Saab 9-3, Scott-Eklund Racing
10. Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru WRX STI, Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team
11. Dave Mirra, #40 Subaru WRX STI, Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team
12. Liam Doran, #33 Citroen C4, Doran Motorsport
13. Pat Moro, #59 Subaru WRX STI, PMR Motorsports
14. Bucky Lasek, #81 Subaru WRX STI, Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team
15. Travis Pastrana, #199 Dodge Dart, Pastrana Racing
16. Filipe Albuquerque, #99 Dodge Dart, Pastrana Racing
17. Jimmy Keeney, #418 Subaru WRX STI, Michael Crawford Motorsports
18. Toomas Heikkinen, #57 Ford Fiesta, OlsbergsMSE

Photo credit: QBA/QNIGAN.com