Tag Archives: Bristol Motor Speedway

Global Rallycross Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway

IN BRIEF: Toomas Heikkinen became the first driver to win three consecutive Global Rallycross events when he took the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway, beating Ken Block and Brian Deegan to the victory.

HEAT RECAPS: Global Rallycross returned to a two-heat system in Bristol, with Ken Block winning his heat pair and Patrik Sandell doing the same. But while Scott Speed won the first heat for the third group, a persistent Sverre Isachsen stole the second heat. Toomas Heikkinen, Liam Doran, and Steve Arpin also advanced from the heats; a star-studded last chance qualifier saw Brian Deegan, Tanner Foust, and Timur Timerzyanov advance.

MAIN EVENT RECAP: A rough-and-tumble first lap saw Block lose his top seed and lane advantage to Heikkinen for the second race in a row, though Isachsen also threatened to hold the lead. Heikkinen and Isachsen would make it out of the bottleneck first, though Block would regain second place quickly.

The rest of the race saw what was left of the field attempt to catch Heikkinen to no avail, as Block, Deegan, Isachsen (with a busted exhaust) and Sandell would be the only other finishers. Arpin, Foust, Timerzyanov, and Doran all suffered too much damage to continue beyond the race’s initial laps.

RESULTS: The results of today’s Sylvania Silverstar zXe Global Rallycross at Bristol Motor Speedway:

  1. Toomas Heikkinen, #57 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST
  2. Ken Block, #43 Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST
  3. Brian Deegan, #38 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST
  4. Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team WRX STI
  5. Patrik Sandell, #18 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST
  6. Steve Arpin, #32 OMSE2 Ford Fiesta
  7. Tanner Foust, #34 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST
  8. Timur Timerzyanov, #199 Pastrana Racing Dodge Dart
  9. Liam Doran, #33 LD Motorsports MINI Countryman
  10. Bryce Menzies, #99 Pastrana Racing Dodge Dart
  11. Dave Mirra, #40 Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team WRX STI
  12. Bucky Lasek, #81 Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team WRX STI
  13. Scott Speed, #77 OMSE2 Ford Fiesta

QUOTES: A collection of quotes from after today’s Sylvania Silverstar zXe Global Rallycross at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Toomas Heikkinen, #57 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST: I just tried to get a good start on the grid, and after that I chose the tight line on the inside corner, and that made the difference. Then I didn’t have mirrors on my car! (The win) feels alright, but I still have to concentrate on every race. Like I’ve said before, many times, we have to concentrate race by race. Of course there’s pressure, but I think my gap is quite good.

Ken Block, #43 Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST: Topi came from the second row, didn’t qualify well, didn’t have great heats, and just got through the first turn. It’s just the crapshoot of rallycross. I did everything possible to win, and I just got booted around in the first turn. No matter how much effort you put in, it can still turn out completely the opposite. I’m very confident in what I’m doing in the car—the car is absolutely dialed and my team has worked really hard. The car is working for me perfectly, doing everything I want it to do, and I’m able to find the lines. As long as we can keep doing that, hopefully I can still be in the top range of qualifying, and I’ll keep doing everything I can.

Brian Deegan, #38 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST: It was a battle, you know? We had the toughest qualifier. We had (Ken) Block, (Tanner) Foust, and (Toomas) Heikkinen, so it was like a main event. In the second round, we went out there, ended up going with Topi, had a go a few times, and busted up the car. We cracked the frame. I ended up across the finish line third and had to go to the last chance, but the mechanics fixed it up super quick and I went down there. They said to take it easy on the car, so I hung in there, cruised it, and won the last chance qualifier into the main event. That was my first goal. My second goal was, “if I can top three from the back row, I’ll be stoked.” So I came into the start on the inside, battling each other, and it’s kind of who’s the luckiest in the first turn. I came out in fourth or fifth, and I just started being consistent, trying to keep the car alive because it was shaking so bad—I was in survival mode. Guys started falling off, and I got up to third. There will be more wars to battle, X Games is coming up, and that’s the one I want to win. I know I have the speed to do it, it just comes down to a lot of luck.

Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team WRX STI: I was first for about five meters! That was the difference in the final. But somebody hit me quite hard in the rear and broke my exhaust. So I was in the lead, but the car was not running well. All of the other guys see that we’re coming up now, and trying to push the limit every time. The team is working really hard now, and doing the best we can do with this car. It’s getting better and better in every race. And to stay in the first row in the main is very good.

FAST FACTS: A collection of facts from today’s Sylvania Silverstar zXe Global Rallycross at Bristol Motor Speedway:

  • This is Toomas Heikkinen’s third career Global Rallycross victory, and his third in a row. He is the first driver in Global Rallycross history to win three consecutive main events. He is also the third driver in GRC history to score five consecutive podium finishes (Tanner Foust, 2011; Brian Deegan, 2012).
  • Ford swept the podium for the third time this season (X Games Brazil, New Hampshire). All four OlsbergsMSE drivers, Ken Block, and Scott Speed have stood on a podium for Ford this season.
  • Ken Block finished second for the third time in his Global Rallycross career, and second time in 2013. He also finished second at X Games Los Angeles in 2012 and the first X Games Munich event this season.
  • Brian Deegan scored his second consecutive podium finish (both were third place finishes). Deegan now has nine career podiums in 14 Global Rallycross starts, including a win in the second round at X Games Los Angeles in 2011.
  • Subaru PUMA Rallycross Team had its most successful weekend of 2013. Sverre Isachsen scored the team’s first heat victory in Heat 2C, and its best finish of the year by finishing fourth. It was Isachsen’s best finish since his third place run at Las Vegas in September of last year.
  • For the first time in his Global Rallycross career, Tanner Foust failed to finish in the top six of a race. Foust was scored seventh after the main event.

DRIVER POINTS:

  1. Toomas Heikkinen, 96
  2. Brian Deegan, 62
  3. Tanner Foust, 61
  4. Patrik Sandell, 60
  5. Ken Block, 58

SYLVANIA SILVERSTAR ZXE CUP POINTS:

  1. Toomas Heikkinen, 41
  2. Ken Block, 32
  3. Patrik Sandell, 31
  4. Brian Deegan, 30
  5. Sverre Isachsen, 25

MANUFACTURER POINTS:

  1. Ford, 186
  2. Subaru, 60
  3. Dodge, 59

Photo credit: Matthew Kalish

GRC Lites Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway

IN BRIEF: For the second time in a row, Joni Wiman won a GRC Lites event, this time at Bristol Motor Speedway. He beat Austin Dyne and Alexander Westlund to secure the victory.

HEAT RECAPS: GRC Lites ran a total of four heat races, two per group, and each had a different winner. Sebastian Eriksson and Westlund won the first pair of heats, run on Friday, while Wiman and Kevin Eriksson won the second pair. Sebastian Eriksson and Westlund finished second in the second heats, allowing them to move onto the final, and Geoff Sykes and Dyne advanced via the last chance qualifier.

MAIN EVENT RECAP: The six-lap final had to be reset after a scary accident that saw Kevin Eriksson land on his roof heading out of the track’s gravel section; neither he nor Sebastian Eriksson would return to the track when the race was restarted.

The race would be resumed with all drivers in their original starting spots, meaning Wiman was the only driver on the front row. He would have a clean start, allowing him to easily put distance on the field. With nobody ahead of him, Dyne had a clear lane and drove a clean race to score second place.

RESULTS: The results from GRC Lites at Bristol Motor Speedway:

  1. Joni Wiman, #93
  2. Austin Dyne, #99
  3. Alexander Westlund, #55
  4. Geoff Sykes, #65
  5. Sebastian Eriksson, #37
  6. Kevin Eriksson, #39
  7. Harry Cheung, #88
  8. Halid Avdagic, #4
  9. Mitchell deJong, #24

DRIVER POINTS:

  1. Joni Wiman, 42
  2. Sebastian Eriksson, 30
  3. Austin Dyne, 28
  4. Alexander Westlund, 28
  5. Kevin Eriksson, 28
  6. Geoffrey Sykes, 22
  7. Mitchell deJong, 21
  8. Halid Avdagic, 19
  9. Harry Cheung, 18

Photo credit: Matthew Kalish

GRC TV: Bristol Friday Recap

Global Rallycross visits Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time on July 20, staging races in both the Supercars and GRC Lites classes. Supercar drivers Bucky Lasek, Timur Timerzyanov, and Toomas Heikkinen look forward to the fifth round of their season, while Austin Dyne anticipates the second-ever GRC Lites race.

Global Rallycross at Bristol Motor Speedway: Track Drive with Tanner Foust and Geoff Sykes

GRC TV: Track Drive with Tanner Foust and Geoff Sykes

Bristol Motor Speedway features one of the most unique layouts on the Global Rallycross schedule this year, a wide and fast layout that utilizes both the oval’s infield and its sweeping, banked turns. Two-time defending Supercars champion Tanner Foust and GRC Lites driver Geoff Sykes took GRC TV around the track in anticipation of Saturday’s race.

GRC Race Preview: Bristol Motor Speedway

IN BRIEF: Bristol Motor Speedway hosts the second American-based round of the Global Rallycross schedule, making its debut as part of the nine-race series.

TUNE IN INFORMATION:

  • Saturday, July 20, 4:30 PM ET on ESPN and ESPN 3

ENTRY LIST: Click here for the full entry list.

LAST RACE: For the second race in a row, Toomas Heikkinen crossed the finish line first, inheriting the victory after Tanner Foust spun in the very final corner. OlsbergsMSE teammates Patrik Sandell and Brian Deegan would complete the podium, while Foust and Ken Block would complete a Ford sweep of the top five.

DRIVER CHANGES: Timur Timerzyanov, last year’s European champion, will return to the #199 Pastrana Racing Dodge Dart in place of Travis Pastrana. Timerzyanov made two starts earlier in the season, finishing 10th and 11th in the X Games Munich doubleheader. After missing New Hampshire, Liam Doran will also return to the series with his MINI.

THE TRACK: Bristol will feature many of the same features at all Global Rallycross tracks, including an even mix of dirt and paved surface (in this case, concrete) and the signature tabletop jump. Part of the layout will go through the infield of the oval track.

BACK-TO-BACK ATTACK: By taking the victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Toomas Heikkinen scored the fifth pair of back-to-back wins in Global Rallycross history, and the first since Tanner Foust did so at the end of last year. All in all, three drivers have scored two consecutive victories in Global Rallycross competition:

  • Marcus Gronholm; March 25, 2011 (Irwindale) and March 26, 2011 (Irwindale)
  • Tanner Foust; April 16, 2011 (Snoqualmie) and June 17, 2011 (Pikes Peak)
  • Marcus Gronholm; May 26, 2012 (Charlotte) and June 9, 2012 (Texas)
  • Tanner Foust; September 29, 2012 (Las Vegas) and October 30, 2012 (Las Vegas)
  • Toomas Heikkinen; June 30, 2013 (Munich) and July 11, 2013 (New Hampshire)

DASH FOR THE CASH: Bristol represents the second race of the Sylvania SilverStar zXe Cup, which awards a $20,000 cash bonus to the driver to score the most points in four selected events. The first event took place at New Hampshire, while the others will be held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on August 10 and Charlotte Motor Speedway on September 22. By virtue of winning at New Hampshire, Toomas Heikkinen holds the initial points lead.

QUOTES: A selection of quotes in advance of Saturday’s Global Rallycross event at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Toomas Heikkinen, Driver, #57 OlsbergsMSE Ford Fiesta ST: It’s going to be an exciting race for everyone, I think. It’s cool to be here, and we have a nice track. It’s going to be maybe the fastest track, and we have the banks. It’s race by race—I just concentrate like every race. After the last race, I didn’t want to take any pressure—just do my job and my Ford Fiesta is flying right now. It’s on fire, I’m so happy.

Steve Arpin, Driver, #32 OMSE2 Ford Fiesta: As far as racetracks across the country go, Bristol is like my fantasy. I’ve always wanted to drive here—it’s been my goal with stock car stuff, but I’ve never had the opportunity with the programs that we had. Never in a million years would I have imagined that the first time I went around the high banks of Bristol would be in a Ford Fiesta rally car! The word on the stock car side is, “It’s Bristol.” All you have to say is “It’s Bristol, it’s awesome.” And whether you’re in a stock car, a truck, or a rally car, it’s going to be awesome.

Timur Timerzyanov, Driver, #199 Pastrana Racing Dodge Dart: I was really surprised to go on the track. It’s like a stadium. “The Last Coliseum” is fantastic. I’ve never seen something like this. It has 130,000 people, and it’s really, really nice. I tried to go up on the (banking) and it’s not possible, every time I want to go down. I think that this track will be very nice for us.

DRIVER POINTS:

  1. Toomas Heikkinen, 76
  2. Tanner Foust, 51
  3. Brian Deegan, 47
  4. Patrik Sandell, 46
  5. Liam Doran, 43

SYLVANIA SILVERSTAR ZXE CUP POINTS:

  1. Toomas Heikkinen, 21
  2. Patrik Sandell, 17
  3. Brian Deegan, 15
  4. Tanner Foust, 14
  5. Ken Block, 13

MANUFACTURER POINTS:

  1. Ford, 147
  2. Dodge, 43
  3. Subaru, 41

GRC Lites Race Preview: Bristol Motor Speedway

IN BRIEF: After a popular and successful debut event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, GRC Lites will run their second of six 2013 events at Bristol.

TUNE IN INFORMATION:

  • Saturday, July 20, 4:30 PM ET on ESPN and ESPN 3

ENTRY LIST: Click here for the full entry list.

LAST RACE: The inaugural GRC Lites event came down to a battle between two up-and-coming Nordic stars, as Finland’s Joni Wiman and Sweden’s Sebastian Eriksson won the two heat races to earn first-row starting spots. While Eriksson took the early lead, Wiman made a late pass to score the first victory.

THE TRACK: Bristol will feature many of the same features at all Global Rallycross tracks, including an even mix of dirt and paved surface (in this case, concrete) and the signature tabletop jump. Part of the layout will go through the infield of the oval track.

A WINNING PEDIGREE: Joni Wiman may be a newcomer to racing in the United States, but he certainly has had his share of high-profile experience behind the wheel. Before making the jump to rallycross, the Finn had been making a name for himself in single-seater racing, including the ADAC Formel Masters series in Germany. Since jumping to closed cockpit racing, he has been coached by one of the sport’s best: Marcus Gronholm, himself a winner of five Global Rallycross events in 2011 and 2012.

QUOTES: A selection of quotes in advance of Saturday’s GRC Lites event at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Joni Wiman, Driver, #93 Set Promotion GRC Lites: The track looks special. I’ve never done ovals, but I’m waiting to have a good race and go forward with the car. I hadn’t done much testing before New Hampshire—I’d only driven 25 laps on snow and ice, and everything was new. But the car is very easy to drive, and there’s nothing to complain about.

Austin Dyne, Driver, #99 Royal Purple GRC Lites: I think it’ll be cool going back on the banking. I thought it was really fun, but it’ll be different in the rally car. I don’t know if we’ll be sliding, but I’m optimistic. It’s my favorite short track in America, so I’m excited to be here, and optimistic about how I’m going to do. I’m going to try to make the final again.

DRIVER POINTS:

  1. Joni Wiman, 21
  2. Sebastian Eriksson, 18
  3. Kevin Eriksson, 15
  4. Mitchell deJong, 13
  5. Alexander Westlund, 12
PR-2013Schedule-Featured

Global Rallycross Confirms 2013 Schedule Featuring International Expansion

Los Angeles, Calif. (June 11, 2013) – Global Rallycross (GRC) confirms its 2013 schedule will total nine rounds including races on three different continents in conjunction with Global X Games events in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), Barcelona (Spain) and Munich (Germany).

As one of the fastest growing forms of motorsport, rallycross combines the best aspects of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition.

The series is made up of four Global X Games events and five GRC events to total nine rounds that will culminate in the crowning of both a driver’s champion and manufacturer’s champion.

The 2013 championship features live broadcasts on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 available in over 198 countries. With more than 15 hours of primetime live content on major networks, the telecast package comprises the most expansive television coverage that the sport of rallycross has ever seen.

The series’ star drivers include Ken Block, Brian Deegan, Travis Pastrana, Scott Speed and 2011 and 2012 GRC Champion Tanner Foust.

The 2013 Global Rallycross schedule:

April 21: GRC at X Games: Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
May 19: GRC at X Games: Barcelona, Spain
June 29 & 30: GRC at X Games: Munich, Germany*
July 11: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon NH
July 20: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol TN
August 04: GRC at X Games: Irwindale Speedway, CA
August 10: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Atlanta, GA
September 22: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, NC
November 07: Las Vegas, NV

*Barcelona rainout makeup race on June 29

Photo credit: Alison Merion Padron

GRC TV: Foust Shows Off His 600 HP Ford Fiesta ST in Bristol, Atlanta

Defending GRC champion Tanner Foust is just one of many drivers to bring a brand new car to the track this season, and it packs a punch like nobody’s business. His Ford Fiesta ST produces 600 horsepower out of a 2.0-liter engine and goes from 0 to 60 in just under two seconds. Of course, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have Tanner show off the new ride during last week’s press tour at Bristol and Atlanta Motor Speedway, and he couldn’t pass on the opportunity to drive it. Here’s some of our best footage of one of GRC’s biggest stars demonstrating just what these Supercars can do.

GRC TV Invades Bristol Motor Speedway

GRC TV was on hand at the NASCAR Sprint Series Cup Race at Bristol Motor Speedway for the announcement of the inaugural Global Rallycross Championship Bristol race on July 20.

GRC TV Reporter, Kate Osborne, goes behind-the-scenes to get exclusive coverage of the announcement and fan reactions to the new Fiesta ST GRC car. And don’t miss defending champion Tanner Foust as he takes his GRC-spec Ford Fiesta ST for a spin on Bristol’s high banks.

For a photo gallery of Tanner Foust’s demo run at Bristol, click here.

Global Rallycross Championship to Debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 20

BRISTOL, TN. (March 16, 2013) – For the first time, Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) will showcase the series at Bristol Motor Speedway and compete on a custom-designed track on Saturday, July 20.

Global Rallycross Championship has captured the attention of both the young and old in a new era of racing, combining the thrill of four-wheel racing with unique course designs on dirt and asphalt, drift turns, jumps and water elements. After a series of elimination heat races, a total of 10 drivers will then compete in a winner-take-all final to determine the Global Rallycross Champion. Drivers like Ken Block, Brian Deegan, Tanner Foust, Bucky Lasek and Dave Mirra will represent GRC this season.

Competitors in the Global Rallycross Championship event at Bristol Motor Speedway will be coming off of three Global X Games events and one stand-alone event. The GRC event at Bristol Motor Speedway will continue to create incredible action towards the Global Rallycross Championship.

“Since we saw our first Global Rallycross Championship event, we envisioned the potential of marrying the most extreme speedway with the most extreme racing series,” said Jerry Caldwell, Bristol Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager. “Seeing these incredible cars on Bristol’s high banks, as well as a few jumps and new corners we will create, will make a spectacular show that everyone will want to see.”

 

“The addition of Bristol Motor Speedway to the 2013 Global Rallycross Championship schedule is something GRC is thrilled to announce,” said Colin Dyne, GRC CEO. “It is a track that has a long standing racing legacy, has incredible track features and it will provide the ultimate driving experience for our drivers.”

Global Rallycross Championship vehicles differentiate themselves from other racing series car as they are not only fast, accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, but the cars allow for connectivity to consumers and fans. GRC cars are production-based cars created around models that can be purchased at local dealership and customized by first-time buyers.

For more information or to purchase tickets, fans may call toll free at 1-866-415-4158 or 423-BRISTOL or online at www.bristoltix.com.