Americas Rallycross Championship
 | |
| Country | United States Canada |
|---|---|
| Region | North America |
| Inaugural season | 2018 |
| Folded | 2019 |
| Tire suppliers | Cooper Tire |
| Last Drivers' champion |  Tanner Foust |
| Last Teams' champion | Subaru Rally Team USA |
The Americas Rallycross Championship, also known as ARX Rallycross, was an American rallycross series organized by IMG Motorsport. Formed in 2018, it was a feeder series to the FIA World Rallycross Championship. After two seasons, ARX shut down in late 2019.
History
[edit]In March 2018, IMG founded the Americas Rallycross Championship as a competitor to the GRC Rallycross until the latter folded due to financial issues.[1] Former GRC teams like Andretti Autosport and Subaru Rally Team USA moved to ARX.[2]
ARX's inaugural race was held in May at Silverstone Circuit as a support to the World RX of Great Britain; Tanner Foust won the event.[3] The first American round took place in July at Circuit of the Americas, won by Scott Speed.[4] Speed ended the 2018 season as the champion, his fourth consecutive title in a rallycross series.[5] The series also hosted the ARX2 class, a second-tier league with spec Ford Fiestas.[6] In 2019, ARX conducted a six-race schedule with rounds on new rallycross courses at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Foust went on to win the championship. Only seven teams competed in the 2019 season.[7]
On November 15, 2019, IMG announced the series would fold after just two seasons following a failed search for commercial partners.[7]
Format
[edit]Each event consists of the following:[8]
- Four qualifying heats: Each heat has five cars at most in a four-lap race. Starting positions for the first heat are determined by random draw, while the second through fourth heats use the first event's race times to set the grid.
- Two Semi-Finals: The top twelve drivers in the heats advance to the Semi-Finals, with odd-numbered drivers in the first and even in the second.
- Final: The top three drivers in the semi-finals advance to the Final.
Champions
[edit]| Season | ARX Champion | ARX2 Champion | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Team | Car | Driver | Team | |
| 2018 | Scott Speed
|
Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross
|
Volkswagen Beetle | Conner Martell
|
DirtFish Motorsports
|
| 2019 | Tanner Foust
|
Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross
|
Volkswagen Beetle |  Fraser McConnell
|
DirtFish Motorsports
|
References
[edit]- ^ "Americas Rallycross Championship set to debut at Silverstone". Racer. May 22, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Wilde, Dominik (March 14, 2018). "Americas Rallycross series launched, ex-GRC teams announce plans". Autosport. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Steven Cole (May 28, 2018). "New series debut: Tanner Foust wins Americas Rallycross opener at Silverstone". Autoweek. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Scott Speed Wins Americas Rallycross Dirtfish ARX of COTA". Autoweek. July 15, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Scott Speed wins inaugural Americas Rallycross Championship". Autoweek. September 14, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Steven Cole (July 16, 2018). "Americas Rallycross' U.S. debut at COTA checked a lot of boxes". Autoweek. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Ridge, Hal (November 15, 2019). "Americas Rallycross series cancelled after two seasons". Motorsport.com. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Format". Americas Rallycross Championship. Retrieved March 19, 2019.