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High-Octane Global Rallycross to Hit The Dirt Track at Charlotte in One Month

August 22, 2013
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CONCORD, N.C. (August 22, 2013) – Motorsports and action sports will come together in one month for the Global Rallycross (GRC) series presented by Sylvania Silverstar ® zXe at The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Sunday, Sept. 22.

Fans new to rallycross racing will find a lot to enjoy at this high-octane event. The 600-horsepower, all-wheel drive, turbocharged compact cars go from 0 to 60 in less than two seconds as drivers steer through hairpin turns, across jumps, over walls and through a series of chicanes and water features designed to test the driver’s focus and control.

“Charlotte is definitely the hub of the NASCAR world. There are so many NASCAR fans around there. Basically what I’ve learned from Global Rallycross racing is any person, any fan, anyone who has any interest in motorsports will absolutely love this,” said Steve Arpin, driver of the No. 32 Ford Fiesta ST. “It’s a whole new thing. It’s wild; it’s crazy. These guys are all nuts and will put on an awesome show for you.”

With the event only a month away, the custom track design is coming together. The course is sure to excite fans as it takes the drivers through a water hazard, jumps and two different surfaces – dirt and pavement – at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The joker lap, a shortcut that each driver must take once during the race, will take place in front of the stands, meaning that fans won’t miss a second of the action. Each event features qualifying, timed heats and a last chance race to set the lineup for a final winner-take-all feature race.

The question remains if this challenging course will allow other drivers to challenge Toomas Heikkinen, who has won five GRC races in a row. Heikkinen has a sizable points lead in the championship race over teammates Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan.

Heikkinen will also have the chance to sweep the Sylvania Silverstar ® zXe GRC mini-series. In this mini-series, drivers face off in a four-race points battle at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and finally, Charlotte Motor Speedway. Heikkinen has already won three of the four races and is looking to continue his success and take home an extra $20,000.

However, all the stars of GRC are looking forward to the race at The Dirt Track at Charlotte and want to put on a good show at the track.

“I look forward to going to Charlotte because I think that the speedway has a lot of history there and good racing there,” said Deegan, driver of the No. 38 Ford Fiesta ST. “It’s about us going there and putting on a good show. We couldn’t be more in the middle of the race industry. I think it’s going to help the sport a lot.”

Aside from Deegan, Heikkenen and Arpin, other stars of GRC who will take to the dirt and try their luck on the strenuous course include Travis Pastrana, Foust, Ken Block and Scott Speed.

Reserved seats for adults are just $25. Children 13 and under are admitted for $10. Each ticket is a paddock pass, allowing access to see the teams and drivers work on the cars before the green flag drops. The drivers will also participate in a post-race autograph session on event day.

For those who can’t make it to The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Sept. 22, the special event, GRC’s eighth race of the 2013 season, will be televised live on ABC.

To purchase tickets, call the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. To stay up to date with everything going on at the Greatest Place to See the Race, log on to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Categories: Press Releases