Brian Deegan will make his Nitrocross Group E debut driving for Dreyer & Reinbold JC at the next event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix on November 10-11
It will mark a return to rallycross-like motorsport for off-road racing veteran Deegan, who previously competed in Global Rallycross between 2011-16, but has more recently been supporting his childrens’ motorsport endeavours, including NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan while competing in off-road truck racing as well as making occasional appearances in Nitrocross’ Side-by-Side class.
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“I’m really looking forward to this new challenge,” said Deegan. “Nitrocross is a whole different animal, but I love pushing my limits and trying new things. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has a strong track record winning the team championship along with going 1-2-3 in the driver’s championships, and I believe this partnership will be a winning one.”
After a decorated career on two wheels – which included 10 X Games medals across Freestyle Motocross, Step Up, and Best Trick – he joined a number of his contemporaries, including motocross rival and Nitrocross founder Travis Pastrana in switching to four wheels. There he added four more X Games medals in Rally Car Racing and Rallycross, including a gold for his maiden win in the discipline in Los Angeles at the end of 2011.
Across three full-time and three part-time campaigns in GRC with Olsbergs MSE and later with Chip Ganassi Racing, Deegan took 18 podium finishes from 42 GRC starts, including a string of five consecutively in 2012 en route to second in the championship behind Tanner Foust. His second, and most recent event win came at his most recent start, the 2016 GRC finale.
“We are elated to have Brian Deegan join our team for Rounds 4 and 5 of the 2023-24 Nitrocross season,” said Dennis Reinbold, team owner of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. “Brian’s fearless attitude and his drive to conquer new challenges are qualities that resonate deeply with our team. We believe that this collaboration will ignite the racing world with excitement and intensity.”
Deegan completes a 10-car field for rounds four and five of the 2023-24 Nitrocross season, filling the seat held by IndyCar and NASCAR driver Conor Daly for the first three rounds of the year. XITE Energy Racing is also set to drop down to a single-car entry for team owner Oliver Bennett, having fielded five-time World Rally winner Kris Meeke and four-time U.S. rallycross champion Tanner Foust so far this season.