Rally driver Benito Guerra will join the Nitro Rallycross field for its season-ending tripleheader at Glen Helen Raceway in California this weekend, and is eyeing a full campaign next season.
The 2012 Production World Rally champion and 2019 Race of Champions winner will drive an additional entry for Olsbergs MSE alongside Kevin and Oliver Eriksson, and will be the first Mexican to race in the series. It will also be his first rallycross start, and means that he’ll miss his home World Rally Championship round, Rally Guanajuato Mexico, which returns to the WRC schedule this weekend after a two-year, COVID-induced absence.
“Many of you have asked me why I’m not in Guanajuato this week, why I’m not there for the rally that’s returning in WRC2, and the reason is very simple, it’s very good news. I’m going to race in the Nitro Rallycross series, which runs in the USA and in other parts of the world,” Guerra said in a video posted to his Instagram story.
“I’m going to be in the final of this current season this weekend in Glen Helen, California, where I will be driving with the Olsbergs team. I’ll be racing Rallycross for the first time and racing a 100% electric car.”
Guerra is the second new name in Nitro Rallycross’s headline all-electric Group E category this weekend after Timo Scheider was announced in Kris Meeke’s place, Meeke being ruled out through injury.
The upcoming tripleheader will be the second visit to Glen Helen this season, but there have been a couple of alterations to the track for this weekend, with a wider banked first turn — third turn on the first lap — and a longer joker lap that passes under a 100-ft gap jump on the regular lap.