Conor Daly will return to Nitrocross for next weekend’s trip north of the border to GMC Stadium in Calgary, which will host the only snow and ice round of the season. Daly will once again race for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the headline …
Conor Daly will return to Nitrocross for next weekend’s trip north of the border to GMC Stadium in Calgary, which will host the only snow and ice round of the season.
Daly will once again race for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the headline all-electric Group E class, having featured for the team twice earlier this season, driving alongside Robin Larsson, Andreas Bakkerud and Fraser McConnell. For the last two events — doubleheaders in Phoenix and California — Dreyer & Reinbold’s fourth car has been occupied by Brian Deegan.
“I’m thrilled to be back with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC for Round 8 of the Nitrocross season,” said Daly. “Ice will be a new challenge for me as dirt was earlier in the season, however, I believe I will be able to adapt quickly.
“The team’s commitment to excellence and the electric atmosphere of Nitrocross make this a perfect fit for me. I can’t wait to hit the track for an unforgettable race.”
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Daly made his debut in the category at the season opener in Oklahoma last June, and raced in rounds two and three at Utah Motorsports Campus in August. He took his best finish to-date in the first part of that doubleheader, finishing fifth ahead of reigning champion and current points leader Larsson.
“Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC is delighted to welcome Conor Daly back to our team for Round 8 of the Nitrocross season,” said Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team owner Dennis Reinbold. “Conor’s previous performances have showcased his talent and determination, and we are confident that his return will add an extra layer of excitement to the upcoming race.”
Firestone’s first-time deployment of alternate tires on an oval was met with similar reactions from a range of NTT IndyCar Series drivers on Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway. With drivers required to complete at least two laps on the …
Firestone’s first-time deployment of alternate tires on an oval was met with similar reactions from a range of NTT IndyCar Series drivers on Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway.
With drivers required to complete at least two laps on the alternates during Sunday’s 260-lap race, the rubber was slightly faster than Firestone’s primary compound, but not enough to create an impression that they’ll deteriorate at an advanced rate.
“They didn’t seem wildly different,” said Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who was fastest in the No. 2 Chevy. “That’s my intuition. Hard to say until we do it for real. We’re all going to find out together in the race. But I think off the limited amount of data we have, I don’t know that there’s going to be a big difference between them. With that, it’s not going to give a lot of preference [towards either tire].”
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Conor Daly was eighth overall and fastest of the RLL trio on his debut for the team. Like Newgarden, he didn’t find the alternates to be radically different from the primaries, but he did end the 60-minute session with a strong opinion on which compound he wants to spend the most time on in the race.
“I would say thankfully it wasn’t too big of a surprise,” Daly said. “For me, I was like, ‘Okay, not terrifying.’ It’s not all of a sudden you went out and had a ton of front grip and the thing was super loose.
“I saw a few other drivers; you might miss an apex here or there to try to figure out the entry security compared to how much grip it’s got at the center. For me, there was definitely a noticeable balance change and a noticeable wear. I guess that’s the goal. I prefer the primary tires, I tell you that. But that’s what’s supposed to make it exciting.”
Conor Daly will return to Nitrocross this weekend for the all-electric rallycross-like series’ second and third rounds of the 2023-24 season at the Utah Motorsports Campus. “I’m thrilled to be continuing with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the next …
Conor Daly will return to Nitrocross this weekend for the all-electric rallycross-like series’ second and third rounds of the 2023-24 season at the Utah Motorsports Campus.
“I’m thrilled to be continuing with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the next rounds in Utah of the Nitrocross season,” said Daly. “The first round was an incredible experience, and I am genuinely impressed with the dedication and professionalism of the team.
“Utah Motorsports Campus is a fantastic venue, and I’m eager to take on the unique challenges it presents. I’m excited to keep the momentum going and go for another strong showing!”
Daly — who will also be back in IndyCar the following weekend, driving the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda at World Wide Technology Raceway — made his Nitrocross debut at the season opener in Oklahoma in June, and ended an impressive eighth overall, making the final in what was his first real-world off-road racing experience.
“Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is thrilled to have Conor Daly back with us for Round 2 and 3 of the Nitrocross season,” added team owner Dennis Reinbold. “His exceptional talent, dedication, and fearlessness have been evident in every race he’s participated in.
“We are confident that Conor’s presence on the team will continue to push us towards the top of the leaderboard, and we can’t wait to see him take on the challenging Utah Motorsports Campus.”
The long-rumored split between Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and its beleaguered driver Jack Harvey has been confirmed. Harvey, who joined RLL in its expanded third entry in 2022, will not contest the final three races of the season as RLL both …
The long-rumored split between Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and its beleaguered driver Jack Harvey has been confirmed. Harvey, who joined RLL in its expanded third entry in 2022, will not contest the final three races of the season as RLL both evaluates new talent and does its best to earn one of the lucrative Leaders Circle contracts with the No. 30 Honda formerly driven by the Briton.
Conor Daly will pilot the car at the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway oval, and while only Daly has been named, RACER understands Toby Sowery and Juri Vips are strong contenders to make appearances at Portland and Monterey.
“First, I would like to thank Jack Harvey for all of his efforts on behalf of RLL for the last year and a half.,” said RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal. “He committed fully to the team but for whatever reason, we weren’t able to achieve the results that he or the team deserves and we wish him well in the future.
“We will use the final three races of the season to gauge other racing talent. I’m very pleased that Conor has agreed to join us in St. Louis. He’s been strong there and I feel that he can bring value to the team while also providing us with a strong effort. I look forward to having him with us.”
For Daly, an oval specialist, a solid run at WWTR could pull the No. 30 Honda, which sits 23rd in Entrants’ points, into the top 22 where the $910,000 Leaders Circle contracts are offered by the series.
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“It means a lot to have a chance to drive for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team,” Daly said. “I’ve known Bobby ever since I was a child, our families are very close. Mike Lanigan is someone that has known my dad for a long time, and I’ve known him well too. And David Letterman is a friend of our family as well so it’s very special to have the chance to drive for this organization.
“I will obviously do the best job that I can for them to make them proud and make their partners proud and I hope to be able to deliver everything they are looking for. I’m excited for the chance to get back behind the wheel at one of my favorite tracks at World Wide Technology Raceway.”
The lingering effects from Simon Pagenaud’s massive crash in practice earlier this month at Mid-Ohio will sideline the 2016 IndyCar champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner for this weekend’s doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. In his place is former Iowa …
The lingering effects from Simon Pagenaud’s massive crash in practice earlier this month at Mid-Ohio will sideline the 2016 IndyCar champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner for this weekend’s doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. In his place is former Iowa polesitter Conor Daly, who subbed for the Frenchman at Meyer Shank Racing in Mid-Ohio.
“I’m thankful to Mike [Shank] and Jim [Meyer] to calling me up to fill in for Simon again this weekend in Iowa,” Daly said. “Obviously I’m wishing him the best and hope that he gets well soon. Iowa has definitely become one of my favorite tracks in the last couple of years.”
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Daly will pilot the No. 60 Honda carrying a special livery promoting the new SiriusXM channel for country singer Carrie Underwood, who is performing at the Iowa Hy-Vee IndyCar Weekend event.
“I have qualified really well there – qualified on the pole and started in the top three the last two years,” Daly continued. “Hopefully we can replicate that qualifying performance, but also deliver in the race. The team does an incredible job to prepare the car, so we’re going to do our best for Simon again. We’ll do everything we can to score some more points for the team and I’m thankful to drive this No. 60 car again.”
Pagenaud’s car was driven last weekend in Toronto by MSR sports car champion Tom Blomqvist, who qualified 20th and was taken out in a first-lap crash caused by another driver.
Conor Daly isn’t slotted in to drive the No. 60 Honda this weekend, but the Meyer Shank Racing team values his experience and input and has asked the NTT IndyCar Series free agent to plug back into the program at Toronto as a resource for rookie …
Conor Daly isn’t slotted in to drive the No. 60 Honda this weekend, but the Meyer Shank Racing team values his experience and input and has asked the NTT IndyCar Series free agent to plug back into the program at Toronto as a resource for rookie driver Tom Blomqvist.
Daly was deputized to step into the No. 60 for the injured Simon Pagenaud earlier this month at Mid-Ohio and earned rave reviews from the team, and with an opportunity to give MSR’s IMSA champion a look in the car after Pagenaud was ruled out for Toronto by IndyCar’s medical staff, Blomqvist was given the green light to make his series debut and will have Daly on his timing stand and in engineering meetings to support the multi-talented star.
“It’s just been great being involved with the team and Mike Shank’s been super honest with me about this, because obviously it’s a changing situation,” Daly, a veteran of 105 IndyCar races, told RACER. “This is Simon’s car and we’re just here to help the team until he jumps back into his car. But until he does, the team needs to keep racing and so whatever the week-by-week assignments are to help until Simon’s driving again is what we’re here to do.
“I completely understand why Tom’s in the car because he’s got plenty of trophies, and I’ve known Tom for a long time since our GP3 days, so I’ve already been texting with Tom this week trying to help with stuff to prepare for Toronto and it’s just a good relationship. And the MSR guys are super friendly to me.”
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An unrewarding stint with Ed Carpenter Racing came to an end for Daly in June, and with a wide-open future in front of him, the Indiana native is doing exactly what he should be doing by being present at IndyCar events and making his skills and availability known to every team in the paddock. So far, MSR has been the first to make use of his services, and with a recent pole position at Iowa Speedway to his credit, Daly would be a natural fit for the No. 60 car next weekend if Pagenaud is unable to make his return at the doubleheader.
“It’s been a win-win situation,” he added. “It’s great just to be able to offer whatever I can from experience that I’ve got — because, oddly enough, I do have a lot of experience and with a lot of different teams. I do want to get back to racing here as quickly as I can because I still have so much to prove. I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future, but if you’re ready for one opportunity, as Eminem would say, you’ve got to be able to take advantage of that.
“MSR has a very large footprint in sports cars and IndyCar, and I’ve never lost that drive to be successful. So it’s good to be affiliated. I’m going to be helping however they ask. I’m gonna be here, ready — who knows what that might lead to down the road, but I’m gonna be ready to go racing anytime, anyplace.”
Conor Daly shined on his unexpected return to the NTT IndyCar Series on Sunday at Mid-Ohio and sent a nice reminder to the paddock on the way to leading the Meyer Shank Racing team home in a clean drive from 27th to 20th in the No. 60 Honda. …
Conor Daly shined on his unexpected return to the NTT IndyCar Series on Sunday at Mid-Ohio and sent a nice reminder to the paddock on the way to leading the Meyer Shank Racing team home in a clean drive from 27th to 20th in the No. 60 Honda.
Standing in for Simon Pagenaud, who suffered a brake failure and violent crash Saturday morning, Daly climbed into an unfamiliar car with a team he’d never driven for Sunday morning and made short work of the warmup session, firing the No. 60 into 12th, two spots behind new teammate Helio Castroneves in 10th.
Starting last in the 27-car field, the former Ed Carpenter Racing driver made a mistake-free run as many of his closest rivals spent the afternoon running into each other or running off course. Daly also managed to pass Castroneves at the end of the race and crossed the finish line less than one second behind his ECR replacement, Ryan Hunter-Reay.
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For those who forgot about the immense natural talent that led Daly to IndyCar in 2013, the sharp performance in trying circumstances at Mid-Ohio can only serve to help the 31-year-old find his way back into the series.
“The first time I subbed, I still had qualifying and everything after for Dale Coyne Racing back in the day,” Daly told RACER. “Then when I subbed for Marcus Ericsson at Schmidt [in 2019 at Portland], I had the whole weekend, so this is definitely the latest that I’ve got into a car. There’s a lot there to try to get up to speed with in one session, and we got a few laps, then it was straight into the race.
“There were a lot of differences to the car I was used to, but the Meyer Shank car suited my driving style for sure. Simon uses a little bit bigger of a steering wheel than I do; the clutch setup is way different on the wheel, so there’s a lot there that’s challenging to program your brain. I didn’t quite get the most out of everything because it’s just very different. But overall, I think it was a very, very fun day once we got past some of the traffic that we obviously had to start behind. Then we could start pushing and getting clear some track and just went hammer down.”
For the first time in a long time, Daly left the track feeling happy and satisfied.
“I really have to thank Mike Shank, because on the Saturday, we obviously didn’t know what was gonna happen with Simon, but Mike was very, very supportive of making sure that I could be as ready as possible,” he said. “So all day Saturday, I was able to get locked in with the engineers and mechanics — I already knew a lot of them and I consider them like my friends, and they wanted to give me whatever I needed to be prepared.
“The car was great to drive and it just put a smile on my face and renewed my spirit. I’m really thankful for that chance to just feel what that feels like again. No one’s ever going to be heroically shouting about finishing P20, but the last part of the race where we made up the five seconds to almost catch Ryan at the end, that was satisfying. I was driving my heart out and enjoying the fact it just felt so good and fun.”
Daly doesn’t want it to be the last time those feelings are experienced.
“I do hope that the folks in the industry are able to see what we did; I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said. “I want to be in IndyCar in 2024 more than anything in the world, especially after today.”
Conor Daly will drive Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda in today’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio after regular driver Simon Pagenaud was ruled out following his accident during Saturday practice. After a brake failure, Pagenaud took …
Conor Daly will drive Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda in today’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio after regular driver Simon Pagenaud was ruled out following his accident during Saturday practice.
After a brake failure, Pagenaud took quick action to initiate a spin to reduce his speed, leaving the track sideways, but going airborne as the car was caught by the run-off gravel outside Turn 4. The No. 60 entry made a series of rolls at high speed before coming to a stop against the tire wall.
Pagenaud was evaluated and released by the NTT IndyCar Series medical team, but required to be signed off per protocol to return to action. A follow-up test did not provide the clearance for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner to race, although the team says Pagenaud is feeling OK and is in good spirits and will be on hand to support the team on Sunday.
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“First and foremost, I have to speak to the safety of these cars,” said MSR team owner Mike Shank. “To walk away from an accident like that is incredible and we cannot thank everyone at IndyCar, the AMR IndyCar Safety Team and the IndyCar medical team for everything they did to get Simon out and evaluated as quickly as possible.
“This is obviously not a scenario that we had planned for, but everyone at MSR has pitched in to get our backup car ready for Sunday. It’s actually Helio (Castroneves)’s Indy 500 car and the one he won the 500 with in 2021. We have to thank Conor for being here and stepping into this, he’s been super great through all of the chaos. Now we will get back on our feet and see what we can do in the race.”
For Daly, who was released by Ed Carpenter Racing following the Detroit Grand Prix, it will be his eighth IndyCar start at Mid-Ohio. He’ll start 27th in Sunday’s race.
“Obviously I have to think about Simon — you hate to see someone wreck like that,” said Daly. “The most important thing is to get him as healthy as possible, as soon as possible. This is his car and his group of folks and I am here to do the best job that I can for this team. I’ve known Mike (Shank) for a long time and I’ve tested for his sports car team many years ago. I’ve always had a lot of respect for this organization. It’s an honor to be a part of this group and fill in – we will just do the best job that we can.”
If you spent time in the Nitrocross paddock at the Visions Off-Road festival in Oklahoma last weekend, you will have spotted a familiar driver smiling from ear-to-ear. That smile that didn’t leave his face all week long, despite the fact that the …
If you spent time in the Nitrocross paddock at the Visions Off-Road festival in Oklahoma last weekend, you will have spotted a familiar driver smiling from ear-to-ear. That smile that didn’t leave his face all week long, despite the fact that the event came just days after one of the toughest moments in his career.
That driver was Conor Daly, a man with more than 100 IndyCar races on his resume, along with a handful of NASCAR starts and a stint on the European open-wheel junior ladder.
Daly’s first on-track outing since his departure from Ed Carpenter Racing came in the Travis Pastrana-led series with Indy 500 runners Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. And while Daly’s interest in rallycross has been there since he tested a Honda Civic supercar at the end of 2016, his debut was put together rather quickly off the back of his IndyCar ousting.
“Well, in difficult times, your friends and people who really care about you help out, and Travis is one of those people,” Daly told RACER. “He connected some dots, Dennis [Reinbold] is a good friend of mine as well, they had an open seat and obviously when everything kicked off last week they were like ‘hey, we’ve gotta get Conor in this’ and that was really cool.
“It means a lot to have that support and to have them bring together sponsors that made this happen. Obviously that’s the only reason this happened, so it really means a lot that we were able to turn nothing into something really quickly.”
Daly entered the series’ headline all-electric Group E category with the reigning champion team, joining a field of seasoned rallycross, rallying, and off-road racing veterans. After spending his career racing in a number of circuit racing categories, it was a leap into the unknown.
“[It’s] just such a new environment,” he said. “[They’re] amazing cars. I’ve never really driven an electric car before. The power is pretty unbelievable and instantaneous, but the way the throttle is mapped, it still kinda feels like a regular race car with an engine.
“So it’s fascinating to kinda see how that works. Gearbox as well, and the jumps… but yeah, baptism by fire.”
That baptism came on an all-new track that is the most extravagant that the series has ever built, with a near-instantaneous steep drop from the starting grid, giant banked turns, and more than 150 feet of elevation change. It was crazy by rallycross terms – the discipline to which Nitrocross can trace its roots – but compared to the smoother-surfaced circuits Daly is used to, it was an entirely different universe.
“All the other drivers keep telling me this is one of the hardest places,” he said. “The track conditions were wild every single time.”
Elaborating on the transition from what he’s done for his whole career, Daly said: “I just don’t know enough about it yet. I have less than 40 laps here in one of these cars, so I just don’t know enough.
“When the track gets drier and it’s a little dusty and there’s not just a little bit of random water and wetness, I seem to be alright, driving smooth and kind of in-line and not sliding it like crazy, we’re really fast.
“There were definitely moments where I felt really fast, but in the final, when there was water off-line and in the braking zone, it just went from being able to drive to being backwards and I’ve no idea why, so all sense goes out the window.”
Nevertheless, Daly was able to show decent speed, getting quicker in every session to the point where he set the fastest lap in the LCQ – the penultimate race of the weekend – and in a Preliminary race, he was also able to go toe-to-toe with Pastrana, a driver and friend he’s competed with in NASCAR, but whose experience on the loose stuff vastly outweighs Daly’s.
“[It’s] cool to learn, cool to just be racing, and to make the final,” Daly said. “Making the final was the goal. There’s so many good drivers and good teams here so that was really cool.
“Every session we did, the better we got until the track just got really really strange, like in the final, and these guys are used to that. They’ve been in every condition before, so that was challenging. And I made some mistakes for sure, but I’m trying to push hard, trying to do well, and this team gave me a great opportunity.”
Back behind the wheel and goals achieved, it was a positive weekend for Daly, but what about going forward?
“I don’t know, honestly,” Daly admitted. “My life has been one day at a time since last week. I don’t know what’s next.
“I definitely still prefer circuit racing, I don’t know if this was my bread and butter, but I really did enjoy it and maybe track experience and when there is some pavement on some of the tracks, that can really help me. There’s obviously no pavement on this track and some of the other tracks they do have pavement, so maybe that is something that might really hook me.
“So we’ll see, I have no idea what the future holds, I’m taking life one day at a time at the moment.”
Pressed on whether he’ll be appearing at rounds two and three of Nitrocross in Utah on August 18-19, Daly said: “Who knows? There’s plenty of time to decide, thankfully.”
As for Indy, could this newfound working relationship with DRR stretch into the open-wheel realm? It’s unlikely, but Daly isn’t ruling it out yet.
“These guys have really only been set up to run Indy so I think it would be a real stretch to make anything happen there,” he said. “But it’s an amazing organization.
“All it takes is a giant influx of cash and it could happen, so we’ll see. But right now, anything on the IndyCar side, I’ve no idea.”
Conor Daly will race in this weekend’s Nitrocross season opener at the Visions off-road festival in Oklahoma for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. In what will be his first race outing since departing Ed Carpenter Racing in the NTT Data IndyCar series, Daly …
Conor Daly will race in this weekend’s Nitrocross season opener at the Visions off-road festival in Oklahoma for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
In what will be his first race outing since departing Ed Carpenter Racing in the NTT Data IndyCar series, Daly will drive for the championship-winning team alongside Fraser McConnell, whose return was announced last week.
“I’m incredibly excited to join Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC and compete in the upcoming Nitrocross race in Oklahoma,” said Daly. “The chance to test my abilities in this intense, adrenaline-fueled series is something I’ve been anticipating. I’m grateful to the team for believing in me and providing this incredible opportunity.
“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and showcase what we can achieve together. I also want to thank Travis Pastrana and Nitrocross for all of their help and effort in getting this program together.”
Team owner Dennis Reinbold was pleased to secure Daly’s services, saying that his varied resume will help the reigning champions to keep moving forward.
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“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Daly to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC for the first round of the 2023-24 Nitrocross season,” he said. “Conor’s proven talent and racing prowess make him an ideal addition to our team. We have no doubt that his unique skills will significantly contribute to our success in this thrilling motorsport discipline.”
Daly joins a field that also includes five-time World Rally winner Kris Meeke and Oliver Bennett (XITE Energy Racing), Kevin and Oliver Eriksson and 2012 Production World Rally champion and 2019 Race of Champions winner Benito Guerra (Olsbergs MSE), and Travis Pastrana and Conner Martell (Vermont SportsCar).
While it will be Daly’s first start in a rallycross-like event, he’s not a stranger to the discipline. Following the conclusion of the 2016 Global Rallycross season, Daly tested the Olsbergs MSE Honda Civic supercar in Los Angeles.
The test came about thanks to Daly’s relationship with Honda, whom he was then competing for in IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing, and while his race debut comes almost seven years after that first test, he did tell this writer at the time that he was a fan of the discipline and that he’d “definitely take an opportunity (to race in rallycross) should one present itself.
In the intervening years he has taken part in rallycross and off-road events on iRacing, and has also competed alongside 2021 Nitrocross champion Pastrana in NASCAR.
Built on what the series calls “a virtually blank canvas”, the track that Daly will compete on is the most dramatic the championship – formerly known as Nitro Rallycross – has constructed to date, and encompasses an overall elevation change of over 150-feet.
“This track has such amazing natural elevation,” said Pastrana. “We decided to work more with the existing terrain and make it fun and unique with elements we couldn’t build anywhere else.
“Our goal is to make multiple lines in almost every corner so different driving styles will shine through.”
The track begins with a tarmac start straight with a dramatic descent into the mostly dirt course, leading into a banked hairpin turn, the biggest of its kind ever constructed for rallycross and rallycross-like competition.
A sequence of five snaking hairpins follows, before a brace of sweeping bends onto a tabletop jump. There, the track splits, a left-hand turn going into the joker lap – which needs to be taken once per race – and a right that leads to a run under the tabletop. The main lap and the joker rejoin at the end of the lap, just before a left sweep before the banked turn once again.
The track is the 10th to feature in Nitrocross since it began in 2018 and Pastrana said it’ll continue to evolve over the coming years.
“We’re just getting started. Every year it will evolve,” he said. “The goal is to be able to run most of the track forward and backward. We will concrete some turns and pave others.
“There will be an option to run a dirt section that we can change from year-to-year and run everything from Lemons cars to Supermoto to off-road trucks. MidAmerica in Oklahoma looks to be the best track on the Nitrocross circuit this year and it will only get better from here.”